The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria
by mint20
Summary: The year is 1806. The Corps of Discovery, headed by the legendary explorers Lewis and Clark, is currently holed up in Fort Clatsop. However, their presence in ancient Griffon territory does not go unnoticed. Meanwhile, in Equestria, Celestia and Luna sit comfortably on their thrones. They never could have seen it coming, but the ideas of the West were about to descend on them.
1. Author's Foreword

Hello, fellow Bronies and Pegasisters,

Mint20 here. This story, named _The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria,_ is inspired by the _Pony Demand Mod_ by Gakumerasarafor the grand strategy game, Victoria 2. (Available here: . ?801756-Pony-Demand-Mod-(PDM%F70-Minimod)) The idea behind this mod is that Equestria has quietly existed on the West Coast of North America (California, Nevada, Utah, ect), right under everybody's noses, until finally being discovered in 1816. Then, seeing the threat posed by the European civilizations, and the United States, Princess Celestia goes to Europe to learn from the humans. When she returns, she launches Equestria into an era of bold innovation, quickly bringing Equestria up to Europe's level by 1836, when the game begins. Throughout the game, the player must deal with the rise of liberalism, external threats posed by the United States and their thrice-damned "Manifest Destiny," parley with Griffonia, deal with Communists and Fascism, and finally, worldwide war and conflict as the "Great Wars" emerge, all the way to 1936. I recommend this mod to all who wish for an very challenging yet incredibly fun strategy game with ponies! There's something just so satisfying about beating the ^#!* out of my home country as a race of magical, talking ponies...

Now, since I am a writer and can do stuff like that, I will be taking quite a few liberties with both the source material and real history. For instance, the Kingdom of Griffonia will be discovered before Equestria, in 1806 with the Lewis and Clark expedition. Equestria will know of the humans (and the humans, Equestria), but will not be discovered in and of itself until the above-mentioned 1816, with an incident that is basically the "oh crap" moment for Equestria. Finally, the history will be somewhat decelerated as I hope to write about Equestria beyond the 1800's. Maybe (if Equestria survives the USA, of course) this would even go into the Twenty-First Century? Leave thoughts below.

Yours in all things Pony,

Mint20

PS: Disregard the official map of Equestria. If I can figure out how, I'll upload pictures of the map shown in-game.

PPS: When this gets started, _please_ give me some feedback. You would not _believe _the amount of research that went into this. And share it with your friends!


	2. Strange Visitors

Note: The USA flag in 1806 had fifteen stars and _fifteen _stripes. That's not a typo. Look it up yourself, if you doubt me :)

Note 2: Don't count on this speed for updates. I do have to sleep, after all. :)

Strange Visitors

_The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria_

March 21, 1806

All was peaceful and normal in the nation of Equestria, as Celestia finished raising the sun over Canterlot. The light slowly brightened as the moon yielded its position in the sky to the sun, and the white marble of Canterlot gleamed as the sun asserted its position in the sky, gently chasing the moon back to rest. all and all, it was a rather remarkable sight, made even more remarkable that Celestia no long controlled both sun and moon. Rather, standing beside her was her younger sister, returned after her terrible thousand-year banishment. Remembering that terrible time of war and hate, Celestia shivered. _It is good that I no longer have to worry about that,_ she thought to herself, relaxing and focusing on enjoying the present moment, the heat that accompanied the heavenly body. Luna mirrored her actions, and the two alicorns stood in silence and simply enjoyed the moment.

After what Celestia guessed was about ten minutes, Luna broke the silence. "I wonder how Twilight and her friends are faring," she muttered, almost to herself.

If anypony else had said that, Celestia would have responded with a comment about how strong Twilight was, and how she could watch out for herself. However, this was Luna, her little sister. Celestia did not have to be strong around her.

"Honestly? Sometimes I worry about that too," admitted Celestia. "Every time I send her on a mission, I worry that, maybe _this_ time, I gave her too much. Then again, this mission is _nothing _like Tirek. And the King guaranteed me that she would be protected and kept out of harm's way."

"Indeed," replied Luna. "But there are so many things between here and Griffonia. So much could happen to them in that distance."

Deciding that the time to share her emotions had past, the Princess of the Sun stood up a little straighter and said, "Now, we need to stop worrying and trust Twilight. She knows what she is doing."

As if on cue, the door to the internal chambers flew open and a guard charged out. "Princesses!" he said, in between pants. "News...from the...Kingdom...of Griffonia."

Celestia jumped, ever so slightly. Re-composing herself, she asked, "Well, what news is this?"

"Princess, Twilight...has...returned. She wants...to speak with you...right away. She says its urgent."

_(Two days earlier [March 19, 1806]…)_

The door to the Griffon King's chambers boomed shut behind Twilight, who sighed. Negotiations were never easy, and the Griffon King - King Odrynn - was the most stubborn creature Twilight had ever come across. With the possible exception of Applejack, of course.

"So, how did it go?" asked one of the ponies in front of her. Unsurprisingly, the young Princess's five dear friends had waited for her right outside the door.

"Not too bad, but not very good, either," answered Twilight. "King Odrynn has an annoying habit of knowing what he wants and pursuing it to the end of the world, though."

Nopony commented on that as the group slowly left the King's palace and walked into the courtyard. Despite a somewhat more primitive style than Equestria, the Griffonian buildings managed to communicate a rough splendor. Instead of white marble, like Canterlot, the capital of Griffonia was constructed out of wood taken from the massive sequoias that dotted the nearby landscape. Stone buildings were rare, with the only ones of note being the walls that surrounded the capital. On a normal day, the streets of the capital were mildly busy with various griffons attending to their affairs. Business would be open, and griffons would be out and enjoying the sun, with their families.

Apparently, though, this day was no ordinary day. The streets of the city were completely devoid of any trace of business or civilians at all, really. Rather, a large-looking army of griffons, some six thousand strong, was mobilizing, grabbing weapons, and the like. The six pony friends looked at each other uncertainly, then ran over to the mobilizing troops. In the front, there was a griffon with a helmet that had a red plume, who Twilight assumed was the general or some kind of officer.

Arriving next to the general, Twilight asked, "With all due respect, what is going on here, sir?"

The general turned to Twilight, saw that she was a pony, and snorted quietly. Then, he said, "Your Highness, it appears that _someone_ has built a fortress on Griffonian territory. _You_ wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Slightly shocked that the general would suggest that, Twilight said, "No, of course not."

"Now, now, General Tailfeather," said a deep, commanding voice to Twilight's right, "let's not start throwing accusations around. Princess Twilight and her friends are our guests. It will not do to start accusing them when even _I _barely know what is happening." There was no doubt. The voice belonged to King Odrynn. "Besides, it's highly unlikely that this is some military operation by the ponies. It's rather close to the capital. No force of ponies could have possibly founded a fort so close and reminded undetected. No, this is most likely some small expeditionary force by an unknown power. Changelings, maybe?" He stared off in the distance for a moment. "The point, General, is do not instantly blame the ponies for this."

"Of course, sir," said the general, bowing his head slightly in shame. "My apologies, Your Highness."

"No offense taken," said Twilight, though she was slightly disappointed in the blatant racism and suspicion shown in the comment, while she was impressed with the King's open-mindedness. "Now, shall we proceed?"

"Of course," said the Griffon King smoothly, walking forward to the head of the army.

Before Twilight followed, though, she turned to her friends. "Stay here."

"What?"

"NO!"

"Ain't happening, sugercube."

Cutting off other protests, Twilight raised her voice slightly and said, "Yes. You guys need to stay here."

"Why?" demanded Rainbow Dash.

"_Because_," Twilight said, "this could quickly become messy if it isn't handled with a level head. Most of you all lack that. And Applejack, you have to make sure Rainbow here doesn't sneak off and follow me anyways."

Rainbow Dash grinned sheepishly, no doubt because she planned to do just that.

"_Forward; March!_" call the call, and the army slowly started to depart.

"No time to debate! Stay here!" said Twilight, then ran off to join the troops, leaving her friends behind, shell-shocked.

_Forty-five minutes later..._

"There it is," muttered the King, mulling over the scenario. Twilight followed his gaze and saw a small wooden complex standing in a semi-thick forest. It did not have any walls, but was compact. Based off of what little Twilight new about military history, it beared a slight amount of resemblance to temporary camps that the ancient earth pony tribe had constructed while on campaign. In the middle of the fort, there appeared to a large flagpole that had a rather unique flag on it. In the upper-left hoof corner, there was a blue field with fifteen white stars on it, Outside the field, starting with red, there was alternating red and white horizontal stripes, fifteen in total.

"Form up in a defensive formation." General Tailfeather said.

"Do _not_ attack," said the King. "Only strike if they do." After a moment, he turned turned to Princess Twilight. "What do you make of that flag?"  
The Alicorn puzzled over it for a moment, then answered, slowly, "Nothing. I have never seen it or any like it before."

"Changeling trickery?"

Again, Twilight shook her head slowly. "I...I doubt it. If this was a changeling maneuver, we'd be under attack by now."

"True, I suppose," muttered the King. "Shall we make our presence known?"

"I suppose," said Twilight. "That would answer the question if they hostile or not."

A griffon to her left raised a bugle and sounded a call. It was very simple, only two notes, the second higher than the first. It wasn't an order to the troops, rather, it was more like a metaphorical "tap on the shoulder," letting the occupants of the small fort know that there was an army at their gates.

Through the few small windows, Twilight saw the light flutter as there was an explosion of movement. She bounced up and down on her hooves, anxious to see who these new players were.

After a moment, King Odrynn turned to her. "Behind me," he said, stepping in front of her. He motioned, and troops moved forward until they blocked the sight of of the pony princess.

"What? Why?" demanded Twilight.

"I promised Princess Celestia that no harm would come to you. A griffon never breaks his word. Now be silent! There's movement!"

Twilight opened her mouth to protest farther, but an officer of Griffonia stepped forward and gently covered her mouth. She thought about fighting, but decided to bite her tongue for the moment.

Peeking around the griffons standing in front of her, Twilight had to stuff her own hoof in her mouth to stop from gasping.

Walking towards them, barely hiding a look of shock themselves, were two...odd...creatures. Most obviously, they were bipedal, walking on their back legs only. Their front legs split at their ends, forming digits that looked like claws, but were softer and much more flexible. Very little fur covered their bodies, excepting their heads, which had an odd surplus of the stuff. They wore rugged-looking clothes that smelled profusely of dirt and sweat, and looked as if they had been pulled through several miles of mud and dirt. They stood slightly taller than Twilight herself, while the griffon king was a bit taller than both of them. They carried pieces of wood and steel that looked rather like rods.

As they approached, the Griffon King pulled himself up to his full height and said, "Greetings. I am King Odrynn, sovereign ruler of the Kingdom of Griffonia. I would ask you, why, in the name of all things under the sun, did you establish a fort on my territory?"

The being on the left, one that had a head full of black fur, said in a cautious voice, "My name is Meriwether Lewis, and this is William Clark." The one on the right, Clark, bowed his head. "We are the leaders of an exploratory group named the Corps of Discovery, sponsored by the United States."

"The United States...what is this?" asked the King. "I have never heard of it before...this that it's flag?" he asked, gesturing to the flagpole.

"Yes, that is the Stars and Stripes of the United States of America," supplied the one named Clark. He grinned, then said to Lewis, "And we thought staying at this fort would be all dull. Ha!"

"Excuse me, if I may," said the King, sounding more than a little annoyed. "You still haven't answered my question: Why did you establish a fort on my territory? I do _not_ appreciate having this kingdom violated in this way."

Both of the other creatures became more serious. Clark said."My apologies, Your Highness. With all due respect, we had no idea that you were even here. To us, this looked like an empty plot of land."

"You managed to settle down only forty-five minutes from my capital! You expect me to believe that you came here by _accident?_"

"It's the truth."

The King mulled for a few moments, then said, "Alright. Let's say I believe you. What do you want? What is the mission of this so-called 'Corps of Discovery?'"

"Well, our nation, the United States of America, has recently purchased a vast tract of land from another nation, France. We were sent by our leader, President Thomas Jefferson, to scout out and learn exactly what this territory consisted of. We have left the territory our government purchased, and were just charting the nearby area. I image that the President will want to speak to you soon after we return, to open more formal relations."

"Of course, as one leader to another, I would be happy to receive him. I look forward to opening discussions with a new neighbor."

"How about you stay at our fort for a little while?" asked Clark, earning a sideways glance from his companion. "A demonstration of our goodwill."

The King blinked, then said, "Well, I don't suppose it would hurt."

Clark nodded, saying, "It pains me to suggest this, but I ask that if you bring some advisors or generals, you limit them to four. Space is not very abundant in the fort.

"I understand," said Odrynn, scratching his chin. After a moment, he said, "General Tailfeather! Councilor Moonquill! And...Princess Twilight Sparkle, if you will join me, please?"

Twilight jerked slightly in surprise, then slowly walked forward. The rank of griffon soldiers parted before her, and she felt the surprised eyes of the two oddities on her. She suddenly became acutely aware that sweat was starting to gather at the base of her crown, but there was nothing to be done about it now.

"Well," she heard Lewis mutter, "that's the _second_ huge shock today. Do we still have any beer left?"

Directing his words at King Odrynn, Clark asked, with a slight note of suspicion, "Is there a reason you were hiding her?"

"Yes," returned the King. "I wanted to make sure you were not hostile, for I had promised her mentor that she would be kept out of harm's way. And if you anger everybody on the coastline, make sure you do not anger _her,_ for her anger can be...hot."

With that, he led his small party into the wooden fortress, with Lewis and Clark following close behind. Twilight could make out a few yells as officers distributed orders, calling for the troops to pull back and reorganize into a more relaxed formation.

As they entered the fort, Twilight looked around. All in all, the fort was not all that impressive. It was poorly lit, the structures were not quite waterproof, and the parade ground in the middle of all of the buildings was rather small, not well taken care of. It was clear that the fort was thrown together rather hastily, with little regard for aesthetics or looks.

_Rarity would throw a fit,_ she thought to herself, chuckling quietly, as she eyeballed the huge pools of mud that had formed from the ongoing rain.

"Now," said Clark, drawing Twilight's attention away from the fort, "Princess Twilight Sparkle, am I right?"

"Yes," said Twilight, nodding.

"Well, Your Highness, welcome to Fort Clastop. May I ask, how are you related to your brethren?"

Twilight stood stock-still for a moment, feeling a furious blush build up on her cheeks. _Related?_ Stammering slightly, she said, "Oh, n-no, I have no relation to King Odrynn. I-I am acting as an ambassador to the Kingdom of Griffonia. I come from and help lead the Principality of Equestria."

Clark gave a low whistle, whispering "Just how many nations are there on this coast?" Pulling his thoughts together, he smiled and said to Twilight "Well, I am pleased to be made your acquaintance, Princess. Now, shall we begin?"

"Begin? With what?" asked King Odrynn.

"Well, my men have a demonstration for you and your ambassador. If I could just have one moment to get the lazy boys out here…" With that, both Lewis and Clark left what passed for a parade ground and started barking out orders to what must have been other members of their expedition,

There was a long pause, then King Odrynn sighed heavily, saying, "Well, what do you think?"

Councilor Moonquill was the first to speak. "I don't like it," he said, with confidence. "They seem to be hiding something. What, I don't know. But they are definitely hiding it from us."

General Tailfeather nodded his assent, adding, "Maybe they want something from us. Perhaps tribute, maybe some form of territorial concession, I don't know, though."

Twilight thought it over for several moments before saying, "I hate to suggest this, but the General and Councilor seem correct. They _do _seem to want something out of us. If this was just a simple misunderstanding, as they claim, why did they invite us into their fort?"

The King nodded. "I am inclined to agree," he said, "which is why, Princess Twilight, I recommend that you refrain from telling these creatures about the location, size, or anything else about Equestria. Such information would probably only be used against us. As for the rest of us, we should avoid giving away any more information if it can be at all helped."

Twilight wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of keeping information away from the seemingly-friendly Lewis and Clark, but it was necessary. She nodded her assent, but stilled her tongue as she saw a large group of the creatures filing out of the various buildings in a precise, mechanical way.

As they marched out of what Twilight assumed to be a mess hall, or maybe a barracks/quarters, she noticed that they all carried the long pole-like objects that Lewis and Clark held. Something in the back of her mind, an idea from a book she had read, began to stir. _Are those…?_

Her question was answered for her when the creatures lowered their rods, pointed at a small stone wall, and triggered them. There was a loud explosion, and large bits of stone flew off of the wall, which bared several new holes in it.

_Guns._ Twilight had read about them in a few books on military theory. The proposition that explosions could fling bits of metal fast enough to destroy stone was not a new idea, for military researchers had been tossing around the idea for years. However, Equestrian attempts to divine the secret of these weapons was only followed half-heartedly, as the nation had little to no need for them. That isn't to say the gunpowder initiative had completely failed, for the Royal Guard did have a few cannons, but the design of the smaller, hoof-held weapons had eluded Equestrian scientists. And again, with no real need for them, the nation had not aggressively pursued their development, preferring to invest more in education and administration.

Wary, the griffons and pony looked to each other, and nodded once.

King Odrynn stood up, saying, "Well, that is very enlightening," he said, "What is the purpose of this demonstration?"

Lewis responded, "We wished to show you that we can be valuable allies. An alliance between us could be greatly...beneficial." Was it Twilight's imagination, or did she detect a hint of something more sinister in his voice?

The King must have heard it too, for he said "I see...May I have a moment with my council?"

Without waiting for a response, the King returned to his fellow, and, together with Twilight, trotted over to the far corner of the field, where they discussed in hush tones.

"It is clear," said Moonquill. "They wish to intimate us into servitude!"

"General?"

"I agree," said Tailfeather. "We must strike! No matter how strong their weapons are, we can just overwhelm them with the troops we brought. If we defeat them now, maybe others won't be as foolhardy."

"Wait!" interjected Twilight. "Maybe they _are _trying to intimate us. Maybe they aren't. But if we strike now, even if we win, this 'United States' will simply send more missions. Let them go, but we should end these talks soon."

King Odrynn nodded, saying, "That makes sense. Okay, let us finish this."

The party slowly returned to the expedition's leaders, where they stood expectantly. King Odrynn said smoothly, "A situation has arisen in my kingdom that requires my attention. If you will excuse me, I must return to my capital. I...look forward...to meeting from representatives from your 'United States' again."

The two leaders looked at each other, then Lewis said, "You're leaving? Before you go, accept this gifts as a token of America's friendship." He then yelled over his shoulder, "Get the gifts, maggots! Let's go!"

The explorers scrambled over themselves to move to a building at the left. When they came out of the building, the explorers were laid down with many trinkets and items they carried.

"Now," Lewis said, "we have three muskets and fifty bullets. Give them to whomever you wish, but use them sparingly, for bullets run out fast."

_Just how often do they use these guns?_

"Also, we have medal for you, from the President of the United States, as a gesture of his desire for peace and friendship," added Clark. "We also have one for you, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Somewhat reluctantly, the griffon King bowed his head and accepted the silver medal that Lewis placed around his neck. Twilight followed suit, and she was given a bronze medal. On one side, there was a bust of a similar creature to Lewis, but Twilight assumed that it was this President Jefferson that the explorers spoke so highly of. She turned it over, and saw that the back has a bust as well: this one with two clasped arms.

The explorer stepped back with a pleased expression, they had only one gift left. "Now, please also take this," he said, extending a triangle of cloth.

King Odrynn took it carefully, as if it might explode. Slowly unfolding it, he asked, "...Wha...Why...Why did you give me the flag of your nation?"

The cordial atmosphere vanished instantly, replaced with one that made Twilight shiver apprehensively.

The two explores looked at each other warily, then back at the King, also conscious of sudden shift in the diplomatic atmosphere. "We…" began Lewis.

"This is an outrage!" exclaimed General Tailfeather.

"We are no one's property! We cannot be claimed!" added Councilor Moonquill.

"Be still, both of you!" King Odrynn said sharply. He turned to Lewis and Clark and said, "Against the advice of my council, I gave you a fair hearing. Despite the fact you violated Griffonia's territory, I listened to your side of the story. I trusted you with both my life and that of Princess Twilight Sparkle. And now, you go and betray that trust by trying to impose yourself on me and my kingdom by forcing _this_ on me." With this, he threw the flag of the United States on the ground, earning a gasp from the creatures, Twilight would later learn that they were called humans. He threw the muskets, bullets, and finally, his medal on top of it all.

Clark quickly snapped up the flag as the King concluded his angry tirade. "I ask you, give me _one_ good reason that I shouldn't take the three thousand loyal troops stationed outside this fort _right now_ and storm it. Quickly."

To their credit, the humans recovered quickly. Clark turned to Twilight, with something of a pleading expression on his face. "Your Highness, we simp-"

Twilight, making a split-second decision to follow the model of Princess Celestia, held up a single hoof to silence him. Quietly, her mind is turmoil.

_What now? Dang it, we were _this close _to making it out safe, and they have to go spring _this _on us. Well…_ Princess Twilight, doing her utmost to maintain an outward appearance of calm, turned to King Odrynn and said, "Your Highness, I do not approve of your threat."

The King, having calmed down somewhat, nodded slightly sheepishly. "Yes, my apologies for my outburst."

Twilight was not yet done, though. She turned and fixed a glare on Clark. "This doesn't mean I approve of your actions. I actually think what you did was a direct attack on Griffonia's sovereignty. However, I really do not want this day to end in violence."

Clark bowed his head slightly, but neither Lewis nor Clark said anything.

"Let's get out of here," Twilight muttered, taking off her medal and dropping it on the ground.

_March 21, 1806_

"...and that's when I left," said Twilight.

Princess Celestia sat back, mulling over the situation. "Are you sure? Nothing else transpired, no matter how minor?"

"...No, Princess, nothing."

Celestia felt a flash of light-humored irritation at Twilight's formality. "Now, now, Twilight, you don't need to call me Princess anymore. After all, you're one too."

Twilight blushed, but said nothing.

"Back to the matter at hoof, though," said Celestia, continuing to mull. "This is rather discontenting."

"I'll say," Twilight said. "I talked with King Odrynn. He seemed to agree that some kind of answer to this threat needs to be prepared, but was reluctant to open talks with me, saying that he felt it best if either you or Luna helped me."

"He's wiser than I gave him credit for," said Celestia. "Alright. I suppose I will go open diplomatic talks with Griffonia soon."

"Princess?"

Celestia sighed, but gave up. Clearly, Twilight was not about to change her ways.

"Yes?"

"What are we going to do about those Americans?"

Princess Celestia was expecting the question, but she still didn't like hearing it. Letting out another heavy sigh, she stood up and walked over to the newly-installed stained glass window, this one depicting Twilight and her friends triumphing over Lord Tirek in the Great Battle of the Everfree Forest. Gazing past it, she saw the sun shining brightly, and the entire city of Canterlot seemed to shine back.

_So beautiful,_ she thought to herself. In the streets, the ponies of Canterlot were out and about, doing business as usual. They were totally unaware of the threat that hung over them, greater than any that had come before.

Suddenly, unbidden, her subconscious woke provided her with one of the most horrifying images she had ever seen.

_She was in the castle. The normally bright skies that provided Canterlot with a beautiful view had been shrouded. Not by clouds, though. By something far more sinister: smoke._

_The normally busy streets of Canterlot were still busy, but with something totally different: hairless apes that covered themselves in rags were storming the streets. In the distance, the normally bright and proud walls had been reduced to rubble, laid low by the humans and their gunpowder._

_The city was ablaze, that much was clear. Where else would the smoke be coming from?_

_But looking around, Celestia could not see any fire. The she realized: the smoke was not coming from the city at all. Rather, it came from the human's guns._

_The human troops were advancing. Forming a brisling line of death, they shot anything that moved: cats, dogs, ...ponies…._

"Princess! CELESTIA!"

Princess Celestia jerked in surprise as Twilight poked her, shaking the alicorn out of her out of her daydream/nightmare.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asked, concern in her voice and face.

Blinking dumbly for a few seconds, Princess Celestia managed to regain enough control of her brain to function semi-normally again. Immediately, her thoughts went to the vision she had seen.

An alicorn's nightmares were never false. Over the course of over a thousand years, Princess Celestia had experienced precisely six nightmares. Each one turned out to be a fairly accurate measure of things to come. But if this one was true, too…

_No,_ came the thought. _I will not allow that to happen. Not in a million years._ With the thought came a grim determination. _As long as I'm Princess, no human will _ever _wield a gun in Canterlot. No, forget that. No human will even set hoof in Canterlot!_

Princess Celestia turned to her former student, allowing a stern posture to be let through.

"If they come," she said, attaching great weight to each of her words, "then may whatever God they believe in have mercy on their souls."


	3. The Years Before the Storm, Part I

The Years Before the Storm: Part I

_The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria_

_September 23, 1806_

_St. Louis, Missouri_

A cheer came from the thirty-odd explores as the town of St. Louis came into view. The tired, hungry, and filthy explores suddenly felt an explosion of energy as they saw civilization again. Lewis and Clark were barely able to control the people under them as they re-entered what they thought of as civilization.

After another hour or so of walking, the explorers finally entered the town. Lewis quickly started looking around, looking for the postmaster general. After a few minutes of looking around, he found him in a new, but rather poorly built building.

Walking in, he looked at the older gentleman and asked, "Are you the postmaster?"

The other man looked up, took in Lewis and his clothing, then looked back at his work and said, "Yes. What of it?"

"Hold the mail for a few hours. I have an urgent message to write to President Jefferson."

* * *

_January 3, 1807_

"Meriwether Lewis," said the man across from him, gesturing to a piece of paper that sat on the desk that separated them. "Is this true?"

Lewis stiffened his spine a little. After all, it was probably a good idea for his future career to show respect to the President of the United States.

"Every word, so help me God, is written exactly as it happened."

President Jefferson let out a long sigh. "So it is true, then, that the Corps of Discovery encountered a nation of 'griffons,' torn straight from ancient Greek mythology?"

"Yes, sir,"

"It is also true that you also encountered a talking, sentient horse, one that looked like a cross between a 'pegasus' and an 'unicorn,' who claimed to be from a neighboring land, Equestria?"

"Yes, sir."

"So then it is also true," said Jefferson, a harder note entering his voice, "that, in discussions with them, they reacted poorly to the show of guns, exploding when you tried to give them an American flag?"

Lewis, feeling a single drop of sweat roll down his forehead, nodded once, slowly. "...yes...sir."

Jefferson, in an uncharacteristic display of anger, slapped the desk. "Dammit, Lewis! That was foolish!"

The President stood up violently, tipping his chair over. He walked over to the window, looking out of Washington, DC. After a long moment, he turned to Lewis and asked, "Do you know where this 'Equestria' is?"

"No, sir."

"Very well. I suppose I'll go to Congress, ask permission to outfit another two expeditions. You are to be thanked, you have performed a valuable service for your country. Dismissed."

The explored started to leave, but the President called, "Lewis?"

He paused.

"Not a word to anybody about what you discovered. Not a single word."

* * *

_Back in the Kingdom of Griffonia, August 12, 1807_

King Odrynn sat on his throne, as his aides gave him all kinds of reports.

"Any word from our scouts?" he asked.

"No, sir. No expedition to date has found any of these creatures."

Odrynn sighed, holding his face in his claws. "And Equestria?"

"Princess Celestia is just outside, patiently awaiting entry."

"Fine. Send her in."

The aide rushed off, and the King heard the door boom shut behind her.

_What is happening? I know I asked to meet with Princess Celestia, but still. Two years ago, I was planning to attack them! And here we are…_

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening, and not one, but three alicorns walking in. Princess Luna and Twilight walked alongside the Princess of the Sun, and the King somehow managed to get both more angry and calmer at the same time.

Bringing Twilight was a wise maneuver, for King Odrynn almost thought of her as a friend. Plus, Twilight was the one who had managed to somewhat thaw the chilled relations between the two rival powers.

Rising, the King paid his respects to the rulers of Equestria, even as they did so to him, as well. Once that business was completed, he remarked, "I didn't expect to see all of you."

"My apologies," Princess Celestia said smoothly. "But any treaty made by Equestria has to be ratified by all of us. It seemed only prudent that my sister and former student accompanied me."

King Odrynn stared for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?" asked Princess Luna.

"Irony. Just two years, probably fewer, ago, I was gathering my troops, planning to strike while you were still weak from Tirek. And now, here we are. Civilly meeting, planning to work together against a common foe."

* * *

"Well, that was an interesting experience," remarked Princess Celestia.

"You did not exaggerate, Twilight," added Princess Luna. "King Odrynn really _is_ as stubborn as your reports said."

"Well, at least that is over with," Celestia said, as she watched the sun go down. "Now, we can get back to Equestria, continue with...oh, no."

Twilight blinked, following her gaze. Once she saw what Princess Celestia was looking at, she also felt the same sinking feeling as her former mentor.

For, walking through the city, there was a full dozen humans. Ten of them carried those guns, and they walked swiftly, and with a purpose.

"Well, crap," muttered Luna. "I presume these are the creatures you spoke of, Princess Twilight?"

"Yes," said Twilight, more shocked then she probably had a right to be. After all, the humans did say that they planned to open diplomatic ties.

As the humans approached the building, griffons of all kinds shied away from the strangers. Thus, their path was fairly unobstructed as they approached the capital's doors.

The doors opened with a somewhat loud protest, as if they knew that nobody inside wanted the humans to enter. Regardless, enter they did, and they quickly found themselves snout-to-beak with two guards, who blocked their way.

"Pardon me," said one of them, slightly sarcastically, "but you do not have an appointment with King Odrynn, do you?"

One of the unarmed humans on the left quickly said, "No, sir. However, we respectfully request audience with your King."

The soldier grunted, then said, "And who shall I say has come?"

The other human replied, "I am President Jefferson, of the United States of America."

The griffon guards blinked, then the one on the left said, "I shall inform the King of your petition. In the meantime, we ask that your troops remove themselves from this area, in the name of cooperation."

Jefferson nodded, then gestured. Somewhat slowly, the armed humans retreated. As they did, the griffon on the left slowly backed away, going deeper into the palace. Soon, he returned, wearing a perfectly passive look, and said, "King Odrynn will see you now. He requests that you leave all weapons you may have at the door. Also," the griffon turned, addressing Celestia, Luna and Twilight, "he requests that the delegation from Equestria joins him in these discussions."

If Jefferson was irked or irritated at this, he hid it well. "Very well," he said, walking forward and following the lead of the soldier. Princess Celestia followed, with her two equals right on her hooves.

When they entered the throne room, Celestia caught the eye of the King. He hid it well. A lesser diplomat would have never seen it, but Celestia's eye had over one thousand eyes of diplomatic experience. She could clearly see the first traces of fear in the King.

"Greetings," the King said smoothly. "How may I be of service?"

The two humans hesitated for a split second, then Jefferson seized the lead. "Good day. I am President Thomas Jefferson, and this is my Secretary of State, James Madison. We represent the United States of America."

The Griffon King bowed his head slightly, saying, "And I am King Odrynn. Pleased to meet you." After a moment, he said "Welcome to Griffonia. I would like to ask, What is the purpose of your coming here?"

"To establish a diplomatic presence in this...fine nation," said James Madison. Twilight and Celestia both noticed a slight change in the human's inflection.

King Odrynn noticed it as well, then gave Celestia a subtle look. Princess Celestia smiled very softly, then nodded almost invisibly. She then stepped forward, cleared her throat, and said, "You are from the United States?"

"Yes," said the President. "And I would, right now, like to apologize on behalf of the United States for any...rash...actions performed by the Corps of Discovery. Know that they were a long way from home, in territory alien to them, confronted by a species that we have always thought to be myth."

The griffon softened slightly, then said, "I understand. I suppose we can look past the incident. Hopefully, neither of us will have the misfortune of an incident like that ever happening again."

President Jefferson nodded, with a somewhat relieved expression. Celestia, however, didn't quite buy the look of relief, Something was wrong.

Putting her misgivings aside, she stepped forward, only to draw the attention of Secretary of State Madison. He turned to the Princess Celestia, saying, "And what of you Princesses? We also wish to open discussions with your 'Equestria.' Where is the nation?"

Celestia blinked, then responded, "All in due time. First and foremost, we would like to know what this 'opening of relations' entails."

"I would like to know that as well," added King Odrynn.

President Jefferson nodded, saying, "Traditionally, it means opening an embassy on your soil. This embassy would be considered part of the United State's territory, and should be treated as such."

The King appeared slightly offset by this, not that Celestia blamed him. Noticing the slight change in the griffon's posture, President Jefferson quickly amended his statement, saying, "This would give diplomats of the United States the authority to act without fear of influence from any armed forces or governments. Please, do not take this as an insult on your independence. It is simply standard procedure."

The King didn't look very reassured, but he nodded anyways.

Trying to break the awkward silence, the President said, "Well, I suppose that we need to form plans to build the embassy."

The King nodded somewhat absentmindedly, not doubt attempting to come up with a valid excuse to deny the request. After a few minutes, he appeared to have failed to divine it, as he blinked, then said, "Very well. I must, however, insist that you allow a detachment of troops to be posted at the site of the work at all times. As well, I wish to see the plan for the embassy before work begins. This should be agreeable to you, yes?"

The President hesitated for a brief second, then nodded. "It is agreed."

"Very well. Now, if you will excuse me, President, I must hold council with the Equestrian delegation. Good day."

* * *

The doors of the palace boomed shut, echoing forebodingly across the hall.

"So," the King said, shifting in his throne. "What do you think?"

"I think it is strange that the head of their nation traveled, by my calculations, all the way across the continent just to open diplomatic ties," mulled Luna. "Isn't that a job for a much lower-ranked diplomat?"

"You come all the way from Equestria to meet me," pointed out King Ordynn.

"True, but that's different. It's not a very long trip, especially as the Alicorn flies. At the rate these humans walk, though, it must take several weeks to arrive here."

"Hmm," replied Celestia, filing the thought away in her mind for future pondering. After a few moments, she said, "Well, now King Ordynn, now are you open to idea of a non-aggression pact? We do have bigger threats than each other."

The King's expression soured, his eyebrows coming together into a line. As this expression grew, Celestia held up a hoof, saying, with a flash of irritation, "Please, spare my fellow Princesses and myself the displeasure of listening to your upcoming essay-length rant and tell us, in as few words as possible and minimum shouting, why you cannot even consider a diplomatic understanding with us."

The King hesitated for a moment, his mouth open, as the momentum of his tirade was brought to an abrupt and sudden halt by Celestia's oddly blunt question. After blinking in a matter ill-suited for a king for a few moments, he quickly closed his mouth, trying to recover after having his mind somewhat blown by Celestia.

"Well," he said, slowly, "to put it bluntly, my population neither trusts nor respects you or your realm. In addition, I am not certain that these 'humans' pose a threat to this realm. No, the Kingdom will, for now at least, weather this change on its own."

"Fine," said Luna, almost spitting the word out. Before she could say more, though, Celestia gently put a hoof on her shoulder, stopping her words. While this was unfolding, Princess Twilight watched it all, with something of a disappointed look.

"I believe our business here has concluded," said Celestia, turning to the door. Her two fellow Princesses followed her.

* * *

_In the Congress of the United States, May 22, 1808 (closed session)_

"...and Senator Samuel L. Mitchill, of New York." Having finished the roll call of senators, Vice President George Clinton looked around at the thirty-four representatives of the states, then said, "Before we began formally and open the Senate to public observation, we have news. The expedition that this Senate authorized over a year ago has returned home, finding nothing, and with over half dead. It appears that they encountered the Wichita savages, and had a...slight misunderstanding."

The room seemed to let out a collective sigh.

"As such, our search of this reported 'Equestria' has, _de facto,_ been cut short."

"We cannot afford to continue this foolishness," said Democratic-Republican Samuel Maclay. "Whether this land exists or not, we need to worry about Great Britain now. In addition, we can no longer afford to throw precious money at this fool's errand!"

"I am inclined to agree," said the Vice President. "As such, I propose the following: the Senate will table this issue until our disputes with Great Britain are addressed. All attempts to make contact with this 'Equestria' will cease. However, the United States _will_ maintain a diplomatic presence in 'Griffonia,' and keep a proverbial ear to the ground. Let us address the threat of Great Britain first."

There was much nodding from the Democratic-Republicans. There was less enthusiasm from the Federalists, but they also seemed to accept the fact that other needs had to come first.

"We will put the matter to a vote next session. Do remember, this is a closed session of the Senate, and all topics discussed are classified."

"Now, if there is no other business to discuss behind closed doors, the Senate will now enter open session."


	4. The Years Before the Storm, Part II

The Years Before the Storm: Part II

The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

January 10, 1809

Canterlot, Equestria

As the Sun once again finished rising over Equestria, the Princess of Harmony wandered throughout the streets of Canterlot, alone for once as she considered everything that was happening. She had just left an intense meeting with her former mentor and co-princess, and was lost deep in reflecting thought.

The Kingdom of Griffonia has maintained a stony diplomatic silence ever since the incident, Twilight thought to herself. Like it or not, though, I am certain that the griffons will need us, and us; them, before this is all over.

"Twilight!" came the yell over the wind. Turning around, she saw Princess Luna flying to meet up with her. She bared an air of exhaustion with her, and Twilight felt a slight feeling of foreboding in her gut.

"We are calling for the Royal Council to re-convene," said Luna. "Something has come up."

* * *

"Glad you're here," smiled Princess Celestia as Twilight entered the regal throne room.

"I just left," replied Twilight, trotting over to stand near her former mentor. "What is it now?"

"We have just received word from one of the pegasi scouts assigned to Griffonia. Yesterday, a crew of humans arrived in the nation, and have started constructing the embassy the United States and Griffonia agreed upon."

Twilight nodded, saying, "Alright. What, if anything, should we do about it?"

"I am not certain," admitted Princess Celestia. "Technically, they are not doing anything wrong, and I do somewhat agree with King Odrynn: Are the humans really hostile? They haven't attacked or attempted to subjugate Griffonia or us. Maybe we should back off our fears, for now at least."

"Maybe," said Princess Luna, "But I propose that we, temporarily at least, bar immigration to Griffonia, and deny all vistas to the nation. We should do our utmost to maintain calm throughout Equestria."

"Agreed. Also, I think I should attempt to fix the spell across Equestria."

At this, Twilight looked up. "What? What spell is this?"

Celestia sighed, then said, "Of course, you wouldn't know. This spell is one of the best-kept secrets in Equestria." After a few moments of silence, she sighed

again as said, "Over a thousand years ago, my dear sister, as you know, openly rebelled against Equestria."

Luna winced.

Noticing it, Celestia nodded, saying, "It was a dark time for us both, sister...I hold nothing against you. Anyways, when the Nightmare was defeated at the Battle of Sun and Moon, and subsequently sealed in the moon, I took it upon myself to seal the borders of Equestria, in an attempt to keep the Nightmare - and any other threat to Equestria - out. Beings approaching the borders of Equestria would - and still will - get a near-irresistible urge to turn back. And even if someone managed to cross the borders, or look upon one of our towns, they would see not but empty territory. It is thanks to this spell that Equestria has enjoyed the past one thousand years of peace and posterity."

Shocked, the young Princess blinked twice, then said, "But- what about the missions to Griffonia? And Tirek? And the Nightmare's return?"

At this, Celestia grimaced, saying, "Well, clearly the spell has been...imperfect. It appears of have weakened in the recent past, allowing some powerful creatures across the borders. As for our diplomatic missions, the spell is structured to allow both ponies and griffons to freely cross the border with minimal

interference from it."

"Then…"

"Yes, Twilight. Much like the spell that bound the Nightmare and the one that petrified Discord, this spell is also weakening. Maybe it is due to the transfer of the Elements to you and your friends, but all spells cast by the Elements of Harmony have been going defunct lately."

"But, now the Elements are in the Tree of Harmony," objected Twilight "Do we even possess the magic force necessary to repair this spell without them?"

Celestia acknowledged Twilight's doubts, saying, "I am not certain. If all three of us, and Cadance, pool our resources, then maybe, just maybe, we can pull it off. If not, then...we'll have to improvise."

After reflecting on this revelation for a few moments, Twilight slowly spoke, "So...this spell was not applied to Griffonia?"

"No. At the time, Griffonia and Equestria were on the verge of war. Since then, the griffons have not expressed interest in joining this spell, so I did not amend it."

"Hmm…" said Twilight. "So, what now?"

"Now? For now, we wait, and we hope."

* * *

_January 15, 1809_

Kingdom of Griffonia

King Odrynn woke to the tapping of hammers, for the fourth consecutive day. The humans were already up and working.

Oh, great. I wonder how many complaints I'll have to listen to today.

Keeping his eyes determinedly closed for a few moments, the griffon King thought back to the meeting he had with the leader of the humans a few days ago.

The building crew was mostly made up of what the other humans called "negroes." These people had darker skin than the others, and remained silent while working.

Not that he met with any of them. No, rather, he met with a lighter skinned individual. Just a little taller than the King, the human had an ego that towered above him.

"Greetings," said the King.

"Yes?" said the human, turning around. "Oh, hello...Your Majesty."

The King got the feeling that the human didn't like him that much. Swallowing a slight resentment, he said, "With all due respect, you're working incredibly early hours and it's disrupting the sleep of my subjects. Today alone I received fifteen complaints."

The human shrugged, then said in a somewhat bored tone, "Well...Your Majesty...I'm under orders to build this structure as quickly as possible. The fact that your subjects are lazy is not my problem."

The King bit his tongue to stop himself from biting the human's head off. He gazed into the human's eyes for a moment, then said, "As King of this realm, I am responsible for the well-being of my subjects, as I am also responsible to represent them. As such, I order you, as a temporarily resident of this nation, to cease your disruptive activities."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, you do not command my allegiance now, nor will you ever," replied the human, a hard note entering his voice. "I will not bend my knee to you now, and I highly doubt that I will ever."

The King bristled, saying "You are living in my realm. That puts you under my rule and binds you to my laws, whether you want to or not."

"Oh, but that is where you are wrong. I am acting as an envoy from the United States. As such, I claim diplomatic immunity."

That had ended the conversation, for it came apparent to the King that the human would simply refuse to acknowledge his authority. Thus, the early morning hammering had continued over the griffon's protests.

Sighing, King Odrynn slowly got up to face the coming day. Already mentally bracing himself, he looked outside his window to the nearby site of work. And there, he saw something he could not condone.

* * *

"What in the name of all things under the sun is going on out here?" the King demanded, flinging the palace door open.

All the humans stopped what they were doing. The more pale-skinned of the group looked confused, while the darker of the group simply looked relieved.

"...Your Majesty, what do you mean?" asked the human's leader, slowly lowering the whip he had raised over one of the darker-skinned individuals.

"I saw you whipping one of your own! Explain yourself!" commanded the King, his voice rich with outrage.

The leader's eyebrows came together in a look of confusion. For a few moments, he stood there, working through the King's outrage.

"King...I am installing discipline in my workers."

"By whipping them?!"

"Of course. How else should I show these slaves their place?"

King Odrynn's eyes widened. "Slaves?" he whispered. "You keep slaves in your country?"

"Why, yes," said the human, confused at the griffon's outrage. "Not all of it, but about half the states in the Union allow their citizens to hold slaves."

For several moments, the King stood there, almost - but not quite - sputtering in rage. After he managed to re-assert control of his brain, he said, in a very soft voice, "Give me that whip. Now."

"But-"

"NOW! Or I'll have my armies take it from you!"

Glaring, the human tossed the device over to the King.

"Good. Now, do you have any others?"

The human hesitated, but when the King raised an eyebrow, he walked over a pack, pulled out three of the vile instruments, and gave them to the King.

"Good. Now, I have no control over what you do at your home country. But while you are in my domain, you shall never beat another living creature. Ever. For any reason. I will be in correspondence with your 'slaves.' If I get wind that you are treating them badly, you'll have to deal with me. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

The human glared at him, then said, "You have no right."

"This is my territory. I have every right. And if your United States has a problem, then they can talk to me about it. But slavery is something neither I nor the rest of Griffonia will tolerate. Not now, not ever."

Looking away from the leader, the King addressed the darker-skinned humans, saying "I will return every morning and night that I can. If you have a problem with him, talk to me then. If it's urgent, find one of my soldiers."

Turning away from the scene, he stalked off before giving any of the humans a chance to respond.

* * *

As he stormed back into the palace, he turned to a croutier and said, "Prepare a mission to Equestria. There is something they should know."

"Yes, sir! Shall I send for Envoy Featherwind?"

"No. Well, yes, he should come, but I will lead this one personally."

"Very well. I will also assemble your guard-"

"No guard," said King Odrynn, remembering how the Princesses always came alone. "In fact, forget Envoy Featherwind. I go alone."

"Sir?"

"I go alone," he repeated. "It's high time the Princesses and I stop foaling around."

* * *

_January 21, 1809_

Canterlot, Equestria

Trumpet blared in the streets of Canterlot as the lone griffon landed on the ground. Wincing slightly at the noise, the King touched down as elegantly as he could,

Facing him was all four Princesses of Equestria: Celestia on the far right, then Cadance, Twilight, and finally Luna on the far left. As he walked up to them, he bowed slightly.

After the four ponies returned the gesture, the griffon remarked, "It's been a long time I've seen you, Princess Cadance."

The pink alicorn smiled and nodded, saying, "My apologies. I was on a mission that ended only two days ago."

A mission that lasted years? What kind of mission is that? wondered the King. Pushing the thought aside, though, the griffon said, "I have most urgent news for you. Is there a place we can talk in secret?"

* * *

"Are you sure?" asked Celestia, while pacing about her throne room.

"Yes," replied the King.

"So, you're certain that these 'humans' keep slaves?" asked Luna, with a faint note of skepticism.

"Yes! The human told me to my face! There's a dozen witnesses."

"Sick," muttered Cadance.

Twilight nodded her agreement.

"Slavery…" whispered Celestia. Slavery. Of all things, it had to be slavery.

"What did you do?" asked Princess Luna.

"The only thing I could do: I took the human's whips and instruments of cruelty and brought them here." At this, he opened the bag he brought on this voyage and threw the four instruments onto the ground in front of the Princesses.

All four of the ponies recoiled in disgust at the sight of them. After a moment, Celestia reached out with her magic and grabbed the whips. Feeling sick, she nevertheless brought them up to be level with her eyes and gave them a quick once-over. Thanks to a remarkable amount of self-control, she managed not to gag when she saw the dried blood on them.

Princess Twilight, however, was not so lucky. Upon seeing the whips, she quickly excused herself with a shaky voice, quickly sprinting out of the throne room. Thirdy or so seconds later, Celestia dimly heard retching noises, followed by a wet splat. Cadance didn't really look that much better, for her normally bright pink coat had a tinge of sickly green about it. And while Luna did not look sick, her normally centered air was shaken to the core.

As Twilight returned - still looking somewhat green around the edges - Celestia dropped the whips and said, "Alright. So, they hold slaves. What do we do about it?"

There was silence for a long moment.

Shifting uncomfortably, the King said, "These human's embassy is still under construction. According to what the crew keeps saying, it should be fully constructed by the end of the year, probably sooner."

Celestia nodded, an idea forming in the back of her head. "So, King Odrynn," she said, as casually as she could muster, "now do you recognize the need for a non-aggression pact?"

The King again shifted uncomfortably. After a long moment, and heaving a heavy sigh, the griffon bowed his head.

Sensing his resolve wavering, Celestia quickly pressed her advantage: "King Odrynn, you have always been more open-minded than your fathers. It's a trait I have long appreciated. Now, I have to once again call upon it. Think! All Equestria is asking for is a simple treaty of nonaggression. No territory claims, no costly alliances, no trade favors, no obligations to your nation. With this new development, I need to know my northern border will be secure. And I am certain that you need to know that your southern border will be safe, as well. And-"

"Fine," muttered the King, cutting Celestia's lecture off. In a louder voice, he said, "Ancients take me, I'll do it! Curse you, but you're right. While we griffons and you ponies have had our fair share of disputes, these humans-" Here, he broke off, only to start again: "These...animals...that keep slaves...such barbarism must never be allowed into Griffonia."

Celestia nodded, saying, "So, we have an arrangement?"

"We do."

* * *

(Text of the Equs-Grifoni Pact of 1008 CYP)

The Princesses of Equestria and the King of Griffonia, desirous of strengthening the harmony and peace between their respective nations, have came to the following agreement:

Article I: Both the Princesses of Equestria and the King of Griffonia shall refrain from any act of violence or other aggression between their two powers.  
Article II: Should either of the signatory powers become the target of hostilities, the other power shall not in any way assist the aggressor.

Article III: Both powers renounce any territorial claims they may have on territories that are possessed by the other power.

Article IV: This Treaty shall not prevent either of the two signatory powers from defending themselves from aggression.

Article V: This Treaty goes into effect as soon as it is signed in Canterlot, and will remain valid for one hundred years.

Signed this day, the Twenty-Second Day of the First Month, One Thousand Eight Years after the start of the Celestial Years of Peace.

King Odrynn

Princess Celestia

Princess Luna

Princess Cadance

Princess Twilight


	5. The Years Before the Storm, Part III

The Years Before the Storm: Part 3

_The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria_

_January 31, 1809_

The sun yet again slowly rose as the citizens of Equestria, as Celestia yet again watched from the palace in Canterlot. With a sigh, she slowly turned away from the beautiful sight to rejoin the other three Princesses at the council table.

"We seem to be spending a lot of time here, lately," she remarked, half amused. Indeed, all four of the Princesses of Equestria had noticed that they had been getting considerably less sleep since the signing of the Equs-Grifoni Pact. Looking around, Princess Celestia noticed everypony had dark circles under their eyes. Poor Twilight even looked positively dead on her hooves, though she would deny it to everypony.

_She's still little more than a filly,_ Celestia remembered, deciding that the young Princess deserved a twenty-four hour block of sleep when their session concluded. After a piece of cake, of course.

Turning her thoughts away from the new Princess, Celestia sighed and turned to Princess Cadance. "What news?"

Princess Cadance cleared her throat and said, "As everypony here knows, I spent the last two or so years exploring this continent, looking for human activity."

"And?"

Cadance hesitated for a long moment. Breathing a heavy sigh, she said, "As I headed east over the land, I did find several small villages with these humans."

Both Celestia and Luna let out a heavy sigh.

"That's not all," Cadance warned. "The farther east one travels, the denser these humans are packed. As one gets farther and farther away from Equestria, cities become more and more numerous, and more and more dense. I saw at least two cities that could rival Manehattan in population."

Princess Celestia looked down, running a few internal calculations. "So, you didn't go south?" she asked.

"No," replied Princess Cadance.

"Alright," said Celestia. "Estimate on human population?"

Here, Princess Cadance shifted uncomfortably, then said, "In the regions I saw, at least three million. Probably a lot more, though."

"Hmm."

Princess Luna spoke up, saying, "And...and their military. What did you get on that?"

Cadance grimaced. "Strong. Exactly how strong, I can't say, but I estimate at least twenty thousand troops. The country also possesses many thousands of cannons other artillery pieces. More are produced each day."

Luna let out a low whistle. Celestia didn't blame her. All of Equestria had only fifty-three cannons at the time, and half of them were falling into disrepair.

"Should we be alarmed?" asked Celestia.

The Princess of Love hesitated for a moment, considering everything she had seen. "...Most likely not," she said, carefully weighing what the deployments had looked like. "Most of the troops were stationary, with a few moving north. I don't believe I saw a single unit trekking west."

Luna exhaled heavily in a sigh of relief, a sentiment that Celestia shared. "Well, that's good," Luna said. "Now, what are our next moves from here?"

"Fixing the ward around Equestria should be a priority," said Cadance.

"It should," agreed Princess Celestia.

"But. Princess, didn't you say that fixing the spell could very well be impossible? We still don't have the Elements," said Twilight.

"Indeed," said Celestia. "But it should be said that there is also a chance of the spell succeeding. However…"

"However?"

Here, Celestia allowed something of a sheepish grin to shine through her armor. "However, I put the spell in place so long ago that I barely remember its structure, or anything else of note about it. It...it might take some studying and analyses to replicate."

"Just how much analyses?"

"Oh, not too much. One or two years should do it."

* * *

_October 10, 1809_

_Kingdom of Griffonia_

The humans, sweating prolifically, shifted one of the wood planks on the top of the building they had been laboring on. When the group leader had decided that it was in the proper place, he barked out a quick order, and the humans grabbed a hammer and set of nails each. Then, they proceeded to position the nails over the board and drive them into the wood with hammers.

As the Griffon King observed this, the thought occurred to him that the humans were almost done. As far as he could tell, the building had taken a definite shape, glass windows were in place, and a large flagpole had been constructed in front of the structure.

Standing and watching, he dimly heard one of the humans yell, "It's done, boys!" and the subsequent cheer. Taking slow steps, he started to investigate the exterior of the building.

He quickly ran into the human leader, as the building crew got down from their position of work. Before the human could say anything, the Griffon King quickly asked, "It is done?"

"Indeed," replied the human. "The Embassy of the United States is fully built. All that's left is to raise the flag over it, and it's official."

"If only it was a little farther away from the palace," the King muttered. He didn't anticipate the building would be so large. Pushing the wish aside, the griffon opened his mouth and asked, "When can I expect the diplomatic mission to arrive?"

"I sent for them three and a half months ago, in anticipation of our completion. If they departed right away, they should arrive within a few weeks. More likely, though, that they will arrive a bit later."

"So, what will happen with you now?"

"Us? We will return to the United States. We have done our task."

"Good." The King turned away without another word and returned to the palace.

* * *

_About three and a half months earlier…_

Robert R. Livingston, age 63, knocked on the door to the office.

"Come," came the call from within.

The elderly man opened the door to reveal the newly elected President of the United States: James Madison. The fellow Democratic-Republican stood at the sight of Livingston, saying, "Mister Livingston! Welcome."

Livingston walked in, saying, "You asked to see me, Mister President?"

"Yes. But before we began, I should tell you that everything we are about to discuss is absolutely and completely confidential. Any discussion about this with anyone else can and will be prosecuted as treason."

Livingston blinked, then said, "I understand."

"Good." The President studied the other man for a moment, then asked, "What do you know about the Pacific Northwest?"

* * *

_December 22, 1809_

_Kingdom of Griffonia_

"Remind me, why are we doing this?" asked King Odrynn.

His counselor looked at him, taken slightly aback. "Sir, it is polite to receive diplomats in a formal ceremony."

"Polite. Ha!" the King grumbled. After a moment, he turned to face the doors, saying, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this over with."

With that, he walked out the palace doors into the streets of his into the blaring of trumpets. The human stood across the road, flanked by a Griffonian honor guard. It should be noted that the honor guard was armed with real, standard issue swords and spears of Griffonia, not with the ceremonial weapons usually issued to guards operating such situations.

The King still had his doubts.

Watching the proceeding was Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria. The King had invited them to witness the ceremony, as friends of Griffonia.

As the ring of the trumpets slowly faded away, the human diplomat slowly moved forward, stepping in concert with the guards. The griffon studied him intently as he approached. He stood a little taller than the King, and carried himself proudly. To the griffon's eye, he looked rather old.

When the human was about arm's reach from the King, he stopped. Livingston then pulled a small bundle of papers - bound by a sheet of leather - out from one of the many folds in his clothing. Inclining his head, he offered them to King Odrynn, saying, "I present these, my letters of accreditation to you, Great King Odrynn, in hopes that my service here will lead to lasting peace and friendship between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Griffonia."

Reaching out, the King grabbed the papers. He then made a show of examining them. In reality, the papers had already been carefully examined by him. But ceremonies were ceremonies, and the demands of courtesy had to be met.

After looking at them for the appropriate interval, the King lowered the papers, made eye contact with Livingston, and said, "I, King Odrynn of the Kingdom of Griffonia, accept your letters of accreditation and acknowledge you as the resident ambassador of the United States of America. On behalf of all of my subjects, I welcome you to Griffonia, and hope that your presence will lead to bright future for both the Kingdom of Griffonia and the United States of America."

His bit said, the griffon bowed his head, as the human did the same. When they straightened, the griffon looked into the human's eyes, trying to find some hint to the human's attitude towards him.

Nothing. _This human could give Celestia a run for her bits,_ King Odrynn thought grimly. The idea of dealing with two master diplomats, one from the south and one from the east, did not appeal to him.

The accreditation ceremony over, the trumpets sound one last piece of fanfare. When the last note had finally ended, the crowd slowly started to disperse. As they did, the man looked to the King, asking "Your Majesty, permission to withdraw?"

"Granted."

The human turned and walked away, heading towards the embassy.

"Glad that's over," muttered the King, watching as the two Princesses of Equestria talked amongst themselves. Discarding them from his mind, he turned back to re-enter his palace.

If he had looked over his shoulder, he would have seen the two ponies following the human.

* * *

Celestia walked after the human, named Livingston apparently, fervently hoping that the King was not watching. Not that they were technically doing anything wrong, but she couldn't help but think that the griffon would not approve.

The elderly human soon took notice, and turned around. He had, of course, seen the two Princesses at the beginning of the ceremony. Before, he had simply put them out of his head, as the ceremony was about begin. But now, the human's curiosity was aroused.

The Princess of the Sun saw him stop, and also noticed the slight curiosity on the edges of the human's eyes. For her part, the pony recognized a master diplomat when she saw one.

_This will be interesting…_

Whispering to Princess Luna, Celestia said "This one is skilled. This will be nothing like our discussions with Odrynn."

"You take the lead," camed the muttered reply. "You have more experience than me."

Celestia gave a small smile, but did not answer, for the human was now within earshot.

"Good morning," said the human. "I do not believe that we have been formally introduced."

"I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister, Princess Luna."

"How do you do? I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I am as well."

"My name is Robert Livingston. I assume you know I am the ambassador to Griffonia."

"Of course."

The human paused for a moment, doing what the Princess assumed to be gathering his thoughts.

In reality, though, the human was considering exactly what he was seeing. It was apparent to the man that the horse on the right, the one that had identified herself as Celestia, was no stranger to the nuances of diplomacy. _This one will bear watching,_ he thought to himself, as the two species continued to watch each other. Now, the one on the left, though, seemed to be less experienced. It was hard to gauge, however, because she hadn't said anything.

Hoping to maneuver the conversation into a position where he could learn more, he asked, "Am I correct in assuming you have no position of leadership in this Kingdom?" The scant reports given by Lewis and Clark had suggested as much.

Celestia heard the question, phrased in an almost perfectly smooth tone. Deciding that answering the question would not cause any substantial harm, she said, "That would be correct. Neither Luna nor I possess any authority over this Kingdom." After a moment of pause, she decided to amend her statement by saying, "No, my sister and I jointly rule the Principality of Equestria."

Now _that_ had an effect, she noticed. The human hid it well, but Celestia's trained eye noticed the human's eyebrows go up by a fraction of an inch. While he quickly recomposed himself, the motion was still noted by Celestia.

To be fair, the news did not terribly surprise him. After all, the reports did mention Equestria. However, the one Princess discovered by the Corps of Discovery was lathander, which means…

"If I am not mistaken, your country is ruled by at least three individuals."

"Something like that," said Celestia evasively, trying to avoid disclosing too much about the political landscape of the region.

Livingston noticed the evasive answer, but decided not to press the issue.

As Celestia looked at the human, she felt her mind racing a million miles a minute. As she was still considering her next move, the human spoke.

"May I enquire as to what your species calls itself? I cannot help but think that 'horses' is incorrect."

Celestia nodded, saying, "Yes. My species is known as 'ponies.'"

There was fleeting look on the human's face that Celestia could not quite identify. Humor? No, not exactly. Confusion? Not really that either. Something in between?

Whatever it was, the human recovered remarkably fast. His diplomatic mask back firmly into place, Livingston decided that he had learned everything he was going to, and moved towards business. "Well, how may I help Your Highnesses?"

Celestia noticed the shift in attitude, and mirrored it in kind. "With all due respect, Ambassador, your nation, the United States of America, is something of an unknown to us. What can you tell us?"

The human, remembering the policies of secrecy invoked by the Equestrians before, replied, "Certainly...as long as you answer one question _I_ ask for every that you ask."

Here, it was Celestia's turn to let something through her diplomatic armor, as she gave a small grimace.

_This is the turning point,_ she thought. _Either prolonged secrecy, or knowledge of this nation._

Princess Luna, noticing her sister's indecision, said, "Will you allow a moment to discuss?"

"Certainly," the human said. He then withdrew dozen or so steps away.

The two Princesses huddled together, and held a quick council.

"Sister, why are you even considering this?" hissed Luna. "We cannot allow Equestria to come in contact with these foreigners. "

"Luna. Look. These humans...I don't really like these humans. However, we must consider the very real scenario where we fail to repair the ward surrounding Equestria and the humans come for us. This is our

best opportunity to learn something in case they do come. If we do fail, then we are ready. But if we succeed in repairing the ward, then nothing is lost."

Leaving the her sister behind, Celestia walked back to the human. "We accept your deal. You are welcome to ask the first question."

"Very well. First, then, what is the official name of your country?"

Celestia sighed. "We lead the Principality of Equestria."

Livingston nodded.

"Ok. Now, what is a 'President' and who is the current one in your country?"

The human ambassador nodded, then said "The President is the head of the state of the United States. The current one is James Madison, a member of the Democratic-Republican political party."

"But a man named Thomas Jefferson claimed to be the President when they established the embassy in Griffonia," Luna objected.

The human nodded, then said, in a slightly confused tone, "Why, yes."

"You mean to say that your country has experienced a change in leadership in the past few years?"

"...yes…" he said, still sounding confused.

"Was there a coup or…" Celestia's question trailed off as she remembered the name of one of the Six Founders of Equestria..._Chancellor_ Puddinghead…

"Is the United States of America a democracy? Or maybe a republic?" asked Luna, obviously on a similar train of thought.

"The United States is a democratically-elected republic, in which the people elect parts of their own to represent their interests," replied the ambassador.

"Like the ancient Earth Pony Republic. Or the pre-Discord Equestrian Republic," muttered Princess Luna.

"You are familiar with this system of government?" asked the human.

"We are aware of it," replied Celestia. "It's been thousands of years since an independent democracy or republic has existed in this territory, though."

"Interesting," replied the human, making note of that in his mind. Knowing that it was now his turn to ask a question, the human asked, "When was the Principality of Equestria founded?"

Celestia raised her eyebrows slightly, for she was certain the human was going to ask about the location of Equestria. Either way, she answered, "That is a difficult question answer. The Principality as it exists now, with four ruling Princesses, is less than a decade old. However, the Principality of Equestria, in and of itself, was founded - oh, when was it, Luna? It must have been founded over thirteen hundred years ago, after the Harmonious Revolution and the overthrow of the tyrant, Discord."

"You speak as though you were there at the end of this 'Harmonious Revolution,'" said Livingston.

"But we were," replied Celestia. "We organized the revolution, oversaw the mobilization of our nation, encited the rebellion ourselves, and administered the final coup de grâce against Discord himself. After, the ponies offered the crowns of Equestria to us, and we accepted."

The diplomat struggled to contain his incredibly. "You...you mean to say that you and your sister are both other one thousand, three hundred years old?"

"Yes," replied Celestia. She was actually finding the human's surprise incredibly entertaining.

As for Livingston, the poor human was suffering of something akin to total mental shutdown. As well-versed in diplomacy he was, _nothing_ had prepared him for anything quite like this.

"Princesses," he said, after a moment, "are you immortal?"

The good-natured smile that had formed on Celestia's face in reaction to the human's shock vanished instantly. "_That_," said Celestia, speaking carefully, "is a question that, when answered, may possibly rip the social and political fabric of Equestria apart. As a result, I will simply refrain from answering, and I urge you to never ask that question again. Or share it with any of your colleagues."

The human blinked, then bowed his head, deciding to obey the Princess's wish.

With that, both species determined that the discussions were effectively rendered defunct. When the human took his leave and entered the embassy, neither of the Princesses tried to stop him.


	6. Discovery

Discovery

_The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria_

_June 18, 1812_

"_Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,_ That war be and is hereby declared to exist between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories; and that the President of the United States is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States to carry the same into effect, and to issue to private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the subjects thereof."

James Madison stared at the declaration before him for a moment, took up his pen and attached a graceful signature to it. When he finished, he put down the pen and looked up, saying, "God help us all."

_June 30, 1812_

Robert Jenkinsons, newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, sat at his table, pouring over the reports of troop movements from France.

"Napoleon's acting up again," he muttered. As the reports said, thousands of French (and allied) troops were moving towards Russia.

Of course, the Prime Minister had no way of knowing that the United States had declared war. It will take weeks more before word of the declaration would reach the British Isles.

As he poured over the scouting reports, he slowly became more and more depressed, seeing the need to organize yet another coalition to put down the French menace. Remembering the humiliating defeats dealt to the last five coalitions assembled against Napoleon and the French, it was not something the new Prime Minister was eager to do.

Deciding to move onto less depressing subjects for the day, the man shifted from the stack of scouting reports to maps of the British colonial possessions. Nothing was strange, per se, until he reached the map of British Columbia.

"This is interesting," he muttered, studying the map intently. Quite frankly, he was surprised that there was a large area south of the established colony that looked simply blank.

Deciding that this could not stand, the Prime Minister picked up a pen and started writing:

_By order of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the United Kingdom now offers a reward to the one who charts the territory south of British Columbia…_

* * *

_July 18, 1812_

_Kingdom of Griffonia_

"What?"

"I _said_ that the United States is at now at war, and I am obligated to inform you as such," replied Livingston.

"At war? With who?" asked the griffon King.

"With the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland."

The King hesitated for a moment, filing away the name of this other nation for further investigation, before saying, "Over what?"

"This is a copy of the declaration of war, and an explanation of the casus belli," said the human, passing a sheet of paper over.

"'Violation of international shipping rights...illegal searches of American vessels...violent impressment of American citizens.' These are dire charges," noted the King.

"Indeed," replied the diplomat.

"So, why did you make a point of telling me this?" asked King Odrynn. "As far as I can tell, this does not concern my nation in any meaningful manner."

As the human considered his response, the King took another moment to annoyed by the fact that all the diplomats the humans could have sent, he had to get the master of diplomacy, rivaled only be Celestia herself.

He pushed the irritation aside as the human continued by asking "Do you agree that these are things that threaten the very foundation of international civility?"

Feeling as if the question was a trick, the King said, somewhat nervously, "To a degree." After a moment, he decided to amend the statement with a pointed question: "Where are you going with this?"

The human looked at the griffon sideways, as if he was calculating his next move. After a moment, he said, "Perhaps our nations can come to an agreement. Maybe an exchange of technology for a donation of troops?"

In later days, King Odrynn would hang his head in shame at the memory that he considered the offer. For a whole ten seconds, no less.

But, he could also draw comfort in the fact that after he snapped back to his senses, he said:

"How foolish do you think I am? If I send my troops to aid yours, they will get slaughtered! We have not seen war for hundreds of years!"

"But I thought that you have said that the Kingdom has had...issues...with the Principality of Equestria. These never escalated into war?"

"Once, yes, there was war between us. That was over seventeen hundred years ago, before the War of Discordian Aggression and the following Giffonian Uprising. And over the years, we have had our shares of diplomatic crises. But for the most part, Equestria could trounce us in any war...at least, until recently."

The human diplomat mulled this revelation over for a few minutes, then nodded. "Very well. Is this your final answer?"

"Yes. Go fight your own wars. Griffonia has neither the resources nor the inclination to fight them for you."

* * *

_July 23, 1812_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"War?" asked Celestia, standing next to her window, glaring out into the clouds.

"Yes," replied the griffon King.

"Why?" asked Princess Twilight, appearing incredibly confused.

"Something about neutral shipping rights and impressment of American sailors," replied the King.

"I hate to be the one to ask this question," said Luna, "but what, if anything, do we do about it?"

"What can we do?" asked Celestia. "Let's face it: we are not only ill-equipped, but we are also completely in the dark. We don't even know anything about this 'United Kingdom,' aside from it being a kingdom, united with others, and apparently hostile with the United States."

"What are you saying?" asked Twilight.

"I am saying that in the face of war and violence, Equestria is at the mercy of these creatures when gunpowder and professional militaries...ever since the Lunar Rebellion, Equestria has been a demilitarized state. Our only standing army, if it deserves such a term, is the Royal Guard, and, let's be honest, they are outdated by a few hundred years. And with all due respect King Odrynn, your forces are not much better."

The King bowed his head. As humiliating as it was, he was honest enough to not try to dupe the ponies otherwise.

"Princess, are you saying that we need to strengthen ourselves? Adopt this war-like posture? War and violence runs counter to the core ideas of harmony and Celestialism," pointed out Cadance.

Here, Celestia hesitated. While she recognized Equestria's weakness, she was loath to re-introduce the ideas of suffering to her nation of innocent ponies…

"I am saying," she said after a moment, "that someday, sooner or later, we will need to ask some hard questions. And if we cannot...then I fear for the future."

* * *

_August 29, 1812_

_Kingdom of Griffonia_

"Your Majesty, the human diplomat wishes to speak with you," came the perfectly neutral call from a royal bodyguard.

"Very well," the King replied. "Send him in."

The doors to the palace opened, and in walked the elderly human.

"You appear ill, Mister Livingston," King Odrynn noticed. "Should I send for a healer?"

"No," replied the human, in a somewhat quieter voice than he had used in the past.

"Suit yourself," the griffon muttered. In a more audible tone, the King asked, "Then, what can I do for you?"

In a similarly subdued voice, the human said, "Something very disturbing has come to light recently. It has to do with the conduct of this Kingdom in the building of the United States' embassy."

"Oh?"

"It has come to our attention that your kingdom violated the property rights of the workers building the embassy, specifically regarding enslaved persons."

"The Kingdom of Griffonia reserves the right to intervene in the affairs of a subject if the government feels that basic rights are being violated," replied the King, in somewhat brittle tone.

"For your subjects, maybe," replied the ambassador. "But the humans that were working on this projects were not your subjects."

"Irrelevant. As the sovereign ruler of these territories, I am charged with protecting all who reside in Griffonia, even those who only reside temporarily. And this applies to your so-called 'slaves' as well."

"The slaves are the property of their owners," replied the ambassador. "As such, if the owner of the slave wishes to beat him, then he can. In the-"

The King held up a claw. "I do not care how you do things in your United States," he replied, now getting angry. "In _this_ nation, every single sentient creature will treat each other with respect and dignity. And if you cannot do that, then I will ensure that you are punished to the harshest degree afforded by Griffonian law. No exceptions. At all."

"...Very well," said the human. He slowly got up and walked out of the building. He paused at the door, however, and said, "The United States does not think highly of those who disrespect property rights...I urge you to reconsider your position."

"Over my dead body."

The door boomed shut.

* * *

_December 12, 1815_

_Kingdom of Griffonia_

"What now?" growled the King as heard the alarm bells sound. Getting up from his throne, the griffon ran across the room to speak with his guards, asking, "What news?"

"We're not yet sure, sir," replied the one to the right.

The King made a violent gesture, saying, "Well, then find out, idiot!" After a moment, he amended his statement, saying, "And assemble all the troops you can scrape together, while you're at it."

The guard quickly left to spread word of his orders.

The King paced for a few minutes, but soon decided to follow and see what was going on for himself. To this effect, he threw open the doors of the palace to a maelstrom of activity, as troops assembled and couriers carried messages.

Of course, it was downright pouring.

Gathering up his breath, the King, for the first time in several years, put his vocal chords to use in the full potential.

"WHERE IS THE GRIFFON THAT SOUNDED THE ALARM? BRING HIM TO ME!"

His yell, that echoed of the buildings, mountains, and was actually heard all the way to Ponyville in Equestria, caused everybody in his capital to temporarily stop what they were doing and look in his direction. After a moment or two, the hustle slowly resumed, and a single griffon, his head down in the traditional pose, presented himself to the King.

"Rise," said King Odrynn. As the griffon did, the King saw that he was barely of age, and that he was clearly terrified of his King. Moderating his posture and tone, the ruler asked, in a tone that was not really gentle, but was far from harsh, "What did you see, lad?"

"...A ship, sir," replied the youngster. "A ship larger than one I've ever seen."

"What is going on here?" asked a rather sick-sounding voice. Turning around, the King saw the elderly human diplomat from the United States.

"When I find out, I will be sure to tell you," replied the King, slightly annoyed.

"Anyways," he said, turning back to his subject, "I want you to lead me to this ship you found."

"Right away, sir. Follow me!"

After fast-walking through chaos for about fifteen minutes, the two griffons finally arrived at the edge of the town. And much to the dismay of the King, the young griffon was not mistaken. Indeed, a large vessel, made mostly out of wood, was crashing through the waves as it approached the beach. As mighty as the vessel was, though, the storm had reduced its speed to a slow crawl.

"More humans?" the King asked under his breath. "And they're moving south…towards Equestria..."

After a moment of consideration, he turned to the youth and said, "You have keen eyes. Well done." As the griffon flushed with pride, the King said "Dismissed."

The youth retreated, as the King turned back around and ran as quick as he could towards the palace. When he arrived, he barked out orders,

"Muster as many troops as possible!"

The reply of his generals, however, was lost to him. For in that moment, from the south, there was a brilliant surge of red light, brighter than the sun. The light lasted for over one whole minute, and by the time it faded, the King was left with no doubt as to its point of origin.

Neither, apparently, was the ship. After a moment, the vessel changed course. Instead of heading for the beach, the ship turned to its right and started moving towards the territory south of Griffonia.

"Well, it appears we dodged the problem here," said General Tailfeather.

"Don't party just yet," said King Odrynn, his eyes fixed on the ship. "For now, without a doubt, they know."

"Know of what?"

"Equestria."

* * *

_Earlier that day_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"Are we ready yet?" asked Luna, slightly impatiently.

"Yes, yes, one minute," replied Twilight, frowning as she completed the final calculation. Quickly glancing over her hoofwork, she nodded to herself, then turned to the other Princesses.

"It's ready."

"Good," replied Celestia. "Let's repair this ward, then."

"Let's." Closing their eyes, the four Princesses focused on the spell, in an effort to patch and repair the ward protecting the Equestrian mainland.

As Twilight channeled her magic, the alicorn did her best to monitor the flow and check for any discrepancies. When it comes to repairing such an ancient spell, one must make sure that absolutely everything is in place, else the smallest irregularity might spark a destructive chain reaction.

As skilled and well-studied Twilight was, though, it simply was not enough. For after about thirty seconds, the energy input from the four Princesses spiked, to levels far above what the spell's ancient framework could support.

This would not have been a problem, if it was not for the fact that the archaic spell did not immediately show the warning signs of a spell spiraling out of control. And by the time any of the Princesses had noticed it, the spike had set off a cascading chain reaction that could not be stopped by any of the Princesses.

Recognizing the signs, Princess Celestia opened her eyes and shouted "Stop!"

Again, too late. The damage was done, and the reaction took place a few minutes after the last Princess, Cadance, had terminated the flow of magic.

After a moment of silence, a loud screeching noise was heard from the ward over the nation. At the same time, the ward flared red, brighter than the Sun. Twilight felt the temperature increase a few degrees, and realized that the magic stored in the ward was being released.

After almost two whole minutes, the light slowly faded away.

"Well," said Cadance, "that happened."

Princess Celestia quickly casted a spell, looking for traces of the ward's mainframe. Failing to find any, she said, "It appears that...we have failed. The ward has been destroyed."

As the impact of those words set in, Twilight curled up into something resembling a ball and said, "I'm so sorry! I was certain that-"

Princess Celestia cut her off, saying, "It's not your fault. I should have foreseen this, myself. I should have realized that the ward would have been overloaded by all four of us."

There was a knock on the door to the throne room, and a white-coated unicorn guard charged in, saying, "Your Highnesses, what happened? Are we under attack?"

Princess Celestia quickly pulled her mind together, and gave her best shot at a reassuring laugh. "Under attack? No, no, my little pony," she said, in as reassuring of a voice as she could.

"The nobles are demanding to know what happened."

_Of course they are._ "We will talk later," Celestia said to her fellow Princesses, following the guard out the door.

* * *

_December 25, 1815 (Hearth's Warming Eve, 1014 CYP)_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

_Now the sunrise lifts us up from the dark,_

_The dawn bringing light, bringing hope_

_We will rebuild, for our spirit is strong,_

_And Harmony will be restored!_

As the choir and the orchestra faded into silence with one last piece of fanfare, the crowd rose, as one, their hooves and gave a thunderous outpouring of applause. It was the premiere of the new opera, _Moonrise_, which told the story of the Lunar Rebellion, if in a somewhat simplified form.

Rising from her seat, Princess Celestia glanced over at her sister. As far as she could tell, the midnight-blue Alicorn had enjoyed it. Despite this, however, the Solar Princess could not help but be slightly worried. After all, the Lunar Rebellion was still a somewhat touchy subject with her sister.

As far as she could tell, though, Princess Luna had put the whole incident out of her mind, for she was applauding just as heartily as any of the other ponies. Relaxing, Celestia resumed her applause with the rest of the crowd.

The roaring applause only doubled when the performers stood and took a bow. In the roar, the Princess leaned over to a nearby guard and said,

"Arrange a meeting with the performers, conductors, and organizers. I want to congratulate them face-to-face."

The guard nodded.

As the roar slowly faded, the ponies started to mill about. for the night was starting to grow old, and the celebrations for Hearth's Warming the next day were sure to be demanding. Slowly, the crowds began to file out towards the exits, but not before many of them stopped to shake hooves with the performers.

Shaking her head slightly, the Princess slowly began to turn towards the exit from her private box. She would deny it to everypony, of course, but Celestia was looking forward to sleeping in and not having to raise the sun until a luxuriously late 7:23. Granted, most of the nation would have risen by then and started to celebrate the Great Warming that had united Equestria, but what good is being Princess if you weren't allowed to sleep in once in a while?

Princess Celestia's comfortable thoughts, however, were interrupted by a member of the Royal Guard that trotted up to her, with an air of urgency about him. He was a pegasus, and his pale gold armor marked him as one of the Day Guard, undoubtedly one of the last ones up, considering the late hour.

Letting loose an internal sigh - she did not dare allow it to show, for the newspapers would have a fit - the Princess asked, "What is the matter?"

"Ma'am, I think you need to see this. Your sister too." The guard looked anxious and somewhat...almost skittery.

"Very well. Luna, if you can join me?"

Her sister nodded, and fell in behind Celestia. Together, they followed the guard out the building. The pegasus took to the skies, and the two Princesses soon followed.

He pointed with a hoof towards the sea. The Royal Sisters followed it, and for a second, they saw nothing. But after a few moments, the Princesses finally caught it.

"...shit," muttered Celestia, allowing herself a curse word. Very unlike her, but sometimes "clean" talk just does not do.

Recomposing herself, the Princess said, with a note of urgency, "Sound the alarm! Cancel all leave and recall all members of the Guard. I want all the forces you can muster to report to Captain Shining Armor as soon as possible, and I want him to report to me for further orders. Do it now!"

The guard flew away, towards the ground. A minute or so later, she dimly heard yells and blowing horns as the pony carried out her orders.

"**AND GET ME PRINCESS TWILIGHT AND PRINCESS CADANCE! NOW, FOR THE LOVE OF THE SUN!**"

* * *

_Shining Armor's residence (Same day)_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"Aww, sweetie," sighed Cadance, as she unwrapped the perfume Shining had caught her eyeing a few days ago. "You know I don't need gifts! Especially not from you!"

"It's Hearth's Warming Eve! Everypony deserves a little something from the ponies that care about them."

Cadance smiled warmly at him, and Shining felt his lips raise in return.

_Knock, knock, knock._

_Of course._ "Who is it?" asked Shining, more than slightly annoyed at the disruption in his evening with Cadance.

"The Royal Guard!"

"I thought I said I didn't want to be disturbed!"

The door opened, revealing a gray-coated member of the Day Guard.

"My apologies, sir. But by order of Princess Celestia herself, all leave has cancelled, and all members of the Royal Guard have been recalled. In addition, the Princess has ordered a general mobilization of Canterlot, and orders you to report to her the number of troops you were able to muster as soon as possible."

"A general mobilization? On Hearth's Warming Eve?" asked Shining, somewhat shocked. Then, his eyes narrowed and he said, "If this is some kind of joke, or a drill I was not made aware of, I swear on all things under Celestia's sun-"

"No, sir! All these orders came directly from the Princess."

The unicorn groaned, then started to move towards his armor, saying, "A general mobilization on Hearth's Warming Eve. I hope she realizes how few troops I'll be able to scrape together…"

As Shining moved towards the door, the member of the Day Guard said, "Princess Celestia also requests your presence, Princess Cadance."

"Of course she does," Shining heard his wife mumble, as she got up as well.

* * *

_The Canterlot Suites (Under loan to Twilight Sparkle and friends)_

_Canterlot Castle, Equestria_

"Awful nice of Princess Celestia to let us use these rooms," said Applejack.

"Indeed," replied Twilight, who had declined the invitation to observe _Moonrise_ in favor of having a private party with her friends in Canterlot, shielded from the media and prying citizens. Of course, Princess Celestia had called for Twilight's assistance in the following celebrations with the nobility, but for now…

"PILLOW FIGHT!" called Pinkie, throwing one of the such projectiles at Rarity.

For now, the six friends would celebrate the way they always have: with each other.

The party quickly fell into chaos, as alliances in the Great Pillow Fight where made and broken, the fluffy objects flew everywhere, and everypony quickly gathered up a set of minor bruises from the impacts. Even soft objects can do damage when they are thrown fast enough,

The fight, however, was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

Quickly, all of the ponies stopped what they were doing and stashed the pillows out of sight. Quietly hoping that the Guard had enough sense to turn away prying citizens, Twilight walked up to the door and opened it.

She was partially relieved when the door opened to reveal a member of the Night Guard (Twilight's division of the Royal Guard had not yet been created).

"Yes?"

"Your Highness, Princess Celestia requests your presence. Right away."

"We're coming too!" yelled Rainbow, and the five other ponies quickly joined Twilight's side.

"I'm sorry, but no. Princess Celestia has also issued a general mobilization of Canterlot and ordered that all civilians stay in their homes."

"Screw that, we're coming," replied Dash. Noises of assent sounded from the other four ponies.

"No, Dash," said Twilight, feeling kind of bad. "You and I both must still follow the rules. They are there for a reason, after all."

Not allowing her friends a chance to respond, Twilight followed the guard out the door.

As Princess Twilight flew towards Celestia, the elder Princess smiled. The Alicorn adjusted her course to intercept Celestia, no doubt with an array of questions for her former mentor.

As she arrived, Celestia held up a hoof, cutting off any questions that Twilight had before she could start. Instead, she simply pointed.

"Oh, dear," said Twilight. Celestia nodded grimly.

* * *

_Aboard the HMS Majesty_

"Captain! The hull was badly damaged by that storm we passed through! We can't hold her together for much longer!" yelled the first officer of the _HMS Majesty_.

"Well, do you see a place we could possibly go ashore?" demanded the captain, a man named Elijah Walter. He was a little-known man who saw the reward money promised by the mother country, and decided to take his chances and scrape together a ship and crew.

Little did he know, at the time, at least, that this expedition when change the course of history.

"Sir! You...you should see this…" called the man in the crow's nest, pointing off towards the coast.

Sighing, the captain pulled out his spyglass and looked in the direction the man had indicated. After focusing it for a moment, he saw it.

It was, beyond a doubt, one of the most splendid cities the man had ever seen. The city - no, city was too common of a name for the collection of structures. The vast collection of structures that stood before him could easily rival the palaces of Versailles and Westminster themselves for the title of grandest buildings. The buildings were made of a brilliant white marble that caught the moonlight and reflected it, giving the entire city a soft glow. The buildings were laced with a metal that looked a lot like gold, and they were capped with a purple substance that reminded the captain of amethyst.

Two things immediately became clear to Walter:

1\. The residents of the territory were rich, almost beyond measure

2\. And they were _nothing_ like the so-called American Indians, for building such a wealthy set of buildings would require a degree of political authority that the vast majority of the chiefs of the natives simply lacked

When he realized this, the question became, What should he do? On one hand, in his mind, a civilization this wealthy was sure to have formidable defenses. And if he listened very carefully, he could just barely make out the sounds of horns being blown, which means that the inhabitants had seen his vessel. Perhaps a hasty retreat and regroup was the best option available to him, before going forth.

And yet...while logic told him that retreat was wise, the adventurer in him was having none of it. A small, but loud and persistent part of Walter knew that he was standing at the brink of history, and wanted to push on, to find the masters of this splendid territory and to explore the great unknown.

Of course, the adventurer won.

"Forward!" yelled the captain, pointing towards the city. "Full sail! And look sharp boys, for today we are changing the history of man!"

He was half right. For, yes, they were changing history. But not just that of humanity.

Millions of lives were about to be changed. And before the century ended, his name would equally praised and cursed.


	7. More Discoveries

Chapter 7:

_The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria_

The human's night passed without incident. Princess Celestia had assigned them a rather luxurious suite of rooms, complete with plush pillows, drapes on every window, and a set of enormous beds with even more fluffy pillows, one of such bed for every member of the _Majesty's _crew. Being the explores that they were, they could have easily made do with much less, but they did not complain.

The next morning, the crew awoke to a knock on door of their rooms. Slowly shaking off the dreams of the night, the first thing that Elijah Walter noticed was that the Sun was just starting to peak above the horizon; it was barely past dawn.

Getting to his feet, he mustered the willpower to walk to the door and open it a crack.

Facing him was a white unicorn with a bluish mane, wearing a decorative purple armor.

"My name is Shining Armor," said the pony. "I am the captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard, and have been assigned to be your...escort...for today and the foreseeable future."

He sounded none too happy about it, either.

"I am Elijah Walter, captain of the _HMS Majesty_," replied the human. "If you will allow me a moment, I will get my boys up and ready to see this grand city of yours."

The unicorn nodded.

Closing the door, the captain took a deep breath. Then, he yelled in his best military voice, "Let's go, boys! We have places to go, people to meet, and things to do! Get up, you lazy bastards!"

* * *

Getting the sailors up and moving was a struggle, but in the end, the captain's authority was enough to get them into shape. While still moving somewhat sluggishly, they seemed to function more or less normally as they got dressed and prepared to depart their comfortable rooms.

Leaving the suite behind, the humans followed Shining Armor, noting that two other guards came up behind to escort them.

For a holiday, the streets seemed rather empty, noted Walter.

"Oh, right now, the ponies are just celebrating the first step of Hearth's Warming Day," said Shining Armor, when the captain voiced his observations. "Traditionally, the first few hours of the day are reserved for private celebrations for families. It isn't until hours after sunrise that the public celebrations begin."

Was it Walter's imagination, or did the guard sound rather annoyed when saying that?

Pushing the observation aside, the human asked, "What do this familial celebrations entail?"

"Usually, they involve the exchange of small gifts and the like," came the reply. No, Walter was not imagining the note of irritation.

"Is there a problem, sir?" he asked, deciding to attempt to defuse the irritation that he could not help but feel was pointed at him.

Shining Armor walked in silence for a few paces, then said, "This is Hearth's Warming Day...and I am _here_, escorting a bunch of strange creatures around Canterlot. Yeah, I would say that something is wrong."

Walter was many things, but stupid was not one of them. He heard the bitterness in the guard's voice, and, based off of his experiences he had with his 'Christmas,' he filled in the gaps.

"You have a family," he observed. "One you want to spend this holiday with."

Shining Armor hesitated for several steps, but then said "...Yes. I do."

"And you're stuck on guard duty with us," continued the human.

"Yes," came the stony reply.

"Tell me about them," said Walter, genuinely curious.

"Well," replied Shining Armor, sounding as if he was not expecting the human to care and pleasantly surprised that he was, "I have a wife and a little sister. Though, I suppose she's no longer little…"

"Though I suppose that she will always be, in your heart, your little sister," replied the human. "What is her name?"

Shining Armor chuckled to himself, then said, "Why, you've met her already. Her name is Twilight Sparkle."

Walter missed a step as his brain processed exactly what this meant. Recalling what Twilight had said about the other Princesses, he said, "Which means that your wife is none other than Princess Cadance."

"Correct."

"A lot of royal blood flows in your family," observed one of the other crew members.

"I suppose," replied the pony.

* * *

The tour of Canterlot definitely started to go smoother after the conversation, as Shining Armor warmed to the humans.

A few hours passed, as the party explored the city under Shining's guidance. As the sun continued to rise, the Captain of the Guard eventually decided that enough of city had been seen, and brought the explorers to Canterlot Castle.

Opening the doors to the throne room, Shining Armor led the humans into the chamber, which awed and impressed all of the humans.

What really blew Elijah Walter away, however, was the presence of enormous stain-glass windows. Portraying what appeared to be groups of ponies committing feats of legend, they drew Walter's eye.

"Welcome," said Princess Celestia. Following the human's gaze, she saw that he was staring at the stain-glass windows.

"Ahh," she observed. "Enjoying the art?"

Walter snapped out of it, and gave a small smile. "Yes," he said. "They are simply beautiful."

"All of them depict an important event in Equestrian history," reflected the Princess. "Be it the regime of Discord-" she pointed to a window depicting an odd creature controlling three ponies- "to the Lunar Restoration-" here she indicted a group of six ponies defeating a pony that looked like a dark version of Princess Luna- "to the ascension of Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Just how old is this nation?" asked Walter, in awe of how much history stood before him.

"Difficult to say," replied Princess Celestia. "Equestria may be old, but this nation _does_ see its share of political changes. Plus, there was that...unpleasantness...with Discord that destroyed many ancient records. But as far as we know, Equestria has endured in one form or another for over two thousand, two hundred years."

"Wow," muttered the human, somewhat impressed by the tenacity of the country.

"Enough of that, however," said Princess Luna, shifting the conversation. "We must ask you to try to avoid interacting with the common populace. We don't want them to become...distressed...by your presence."

Walter considered it for a moment, then nodded his assent. "If I was in your position, I imagine that I would not want word of totally different type of sentient animal leaking out without being prepared for it." After a moment, a thought struck him, and he asked, "But, what of our ship? Surely it would draw some questions?"

"Already addressed," replied Princess Twilight Sparkle. "If you look in the place that the ship is, you will find nothing."

"What did you do with it?" he asked, slightly alarmed.

"I cast a powerful invisibility spell on it," she replied, then grimaced. "It was far from easy, but should keep prying eyes away from it."

"You...did what?" asked Walter. His crew had, of course, filled him in on what happened while he was in that pile of debris on the _Majesty_, but he did not quite believe them.

"I used an invisibility spell. It's simple magic, really." Here, Twilight grimaced again. "I've just never done it on such a large scale before. Rather draining."

The human took a few minutes to be shocked, then he remembered what he said to his crew earlier. _We cannot concern ourselves with the 'how' or 'why' right now._

Deciding to just roll with it for now, the human closed his eyes for a moment, then re-opened them. With that, he asked, "Well, Your Highnesses, what do you have in mind for us?"

"You'll see."

* * *

_Manetown, Equestria (On the eastern border of Equestria)_

_Hearth's Warming Day, 1014 CYP (December 26, 1815)_

"Now what do we have here?" asked the mayor of Manetown.

He had been aroused by the sounds of the town awaking at a strange time. And when he came out, sure enough, the entire town was up in arms, so to speak.

The mayor's question answered itself, as he saw the citizens of the town had surrounded a group of...creatures...that the mayor had never seen before.

Turning around, the earth pony spoke to one of his aides, saying, "I need you to send a message to Canterlot. Quickly."

* * *

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"...Interesting story," said one of the _Majesty's_ crew members.

The captain, however, held onto his skepticism. "You mean to tell me that this country was founded after a three-way war between the three tribes of ponies?"  
"Yes," replied Princess Celestia.

"That hardly sounds like a recipe for a stable country," he said.

"And yet, here we are, two millennia later."

"And yet, here we are, still managing to defy all logic and reason."

Princess Celestia, along with the other princesses, raised their eyebrows at that statement. Personally, Princess Twilight took a second to be insulted. After all, she fancied herself as logical and rational, and the story of Hearth's Warming made perfect sense to her.

Discarding the statement, Princess Celestia opened her mouth to resume speaking, only to be cut off by another peculiar sight for the humans. A flame, green in color, appeared out of the air in front of her, and a scroll materialized in the flame.

Levitating the scroll in her 'magic,' Celestia quickly broke the seal and opened it.

The humans took a moment to be dumbfounded, then Walter asked, "Excuse me, but, _what_, precisely, just happened?"

Princess Celestia ignored the question, and continued reading.

After a moment, she looked up and said, "An emergency has arisen in Manetown that requires our immediate attention." Directing her words to the Royal Guard, she said, "I hereby declare a quarantine on the township of Manetown. Nopony is to enter or leave the town or its associated holdings until further notice."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"As for you," she said, turning to the humans, "keep your heads down, and out of sight. The guards will see to your needs." Addressing the guard again, she added, "And call off the Hearth's Warming celebration with the nobility. Tell them that an incident has occurred, and it demands our immediate attention."

"What is going on, Princess?" asked the human, with a note of utter confusion.

Celestia paused for a moment, then said, "A group of strange, bipedal creatures have arrived in Manetown. And I will bet that they're humans."

With that, the four Princesses left the room, and began their nine hundred kilometer flight to Manetown.

* * *

Nine hundred kilometers is not very far, as the Alicorn flies, but it is long enough that by the time the four Alicorns had arrived, it was almost time for night.

As they landed near Manetown, Princess Celestia took a moment to examine the area around it. To her satisfaction, all of the roads to and from the town had checkpoints on them, staffed by the Royal Guard. There were also air patrols, who kept the skies clear of wandering pegasi.

Now on the ground, Princess Celestia led her fellow royals into the town's perimeter. She could not help but notice a large amount of general discontent with the ponies there. Clearly the mayor did not do a good job keeping the humans under wraps.

Upon arriving at the township's center of government, Celestia knocked on the door to the mayor's office.

The door opened and revealed the earth pony mayor. "Princess! I didn't think you'll would make it so soon."

"Let's just say that we take this report rather seriously," replied Celestia. "Now, where are the creatures? And who knows about them?"

"Everypony in the town knows of them, Your Highness," said the mayor.

Luna and Twilight let out a sigh.

"Did I do something wrong, Your Highness?"

"I wish that you hadn't allowed anypony to know of them, but what is done is done," said Celestia. "Now, if we may see them?"

"Follow me, then."

* * *

The ponies left the mayor's office, and walked down a nearby street for two blocks. This time, Twilight was the one to notice the heightened discontent in the town, and was somewhat alarmed by it.

"Princess Celestia, have you noticed it?" she asked quietly.

"The simmering anger?" guessed Celestia. When Twilight nodded confirmation, Celestia sighed. "Twilight, ponies get mad and scared over the most illogical of things. While some ponies run in fear of what they do not understand, others feel compelled to lash out at the unknown. It's one of the reasons I have feared the human approach so much."

"What can we do about it?" asked her former student in reply.

"The only cure for ignorance-based fear and anger is time. Time will eventually prove all their fears and concerns baseless."

"And...if their fears _aren't_ baseless?"

Celestia did not answer.

* * *

"Here we are," said the mayor, stopping in front of the sheriff's office.

"The sheriff...you arrested them?!" asked Celestia, not sure what to make of the situation.

"Of course not!" replied the mayor. "I just...put them under the sheriff's protection."

Hoping this would not prove to be a mistake, Celestia entered the building and breezed past the sheriff, who did not stop her.

Entering the adjacent room, Celestia beheld a group of seven humans. The humans were filthy, which made her think that they were explorers far from home. Reasonable enough, given the distance from any human lands.

The humans recoiled at the sight of the Princesses.

"Greetings," said Celestia. "I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of the Principality of Equestria. These are my fellow rulers."

As she introduced each of the members of the Royal Council, the humans exchanged glances. Eventually, one of them stepped forward and said, "I...I am Benedict Calvin. And we are the Second Corps of Discovery, from the United States of America, sent with the express purpose of exploring in order to discover a land known as the Principality of Equestria."

* * *

"Here we go…" said Luna, as they left the building behind them.

"Did we _have_ to invite them to Canterlot?" asked Cadance. "We can barely keep our other guests under wraps as it is, and somehow I think these Americans are not going to go out of their way to avoid drawing attention to themselves."

Celestia sighed. "I understand, Cadance. What you're saying makes sense. But consider what has happened in the past few days. It is clear that at this point we can no longer expect to maintain secrecy. The ward around Equestria has been destroyed, and we have no way of rebuilding it. Two powers have already found our nation, and who knows how many more will discover us? No, hiding in the shadows will no longer get us anywhere."

"Are you proposing that we adopt these humans' ways?" asked Twilight.

"No," replied Celestia. "We have no need for their warlike ways. Hopefully, they will leave us alone."

"Now, let us return to Canterlot. We need to see to those explorers and their needs. With luck, we can repair their ship and send them on their way."


	8. Expanding Diplomatic Horizons

Chapter 8: Expanding Diplomatic Horizons

_The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria_

_January 2, 1816_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"Wow, I can't believe you were able to repair our ship so quickly," said Walter.

"Oh, it was simple enough," replied Celestia. "Once Twilight got a detailed look at the ship, she was able to logically deduce how each part worked. Then, it was a simple process of getting our hooves on the wood and rope needed."

Twilight blushed, and she added, "The vessel wasn't badly damaged. I mostly just had to repair a few patches in the hull and replace a few ropes."  
"Still. My comrades and myself owe you a debt of gratitude, Your Highnesses. I hope that someday, we can repay it," replied Walter.

Shifting his feet, the human then said, somewhat awkwardly "I hope that our...denial of your request will not be taken too badly. After all, we are bound to report everything to the British government."

Celestia sighed. "No, we understand. You have to maintain loyalty to your King, after all. We would hardly expect our ponies to hide things in a report to us just because a group of foreigners we do not know asked them to. However...please do not, if you help it, share our existence with the more common folk. The last thing we want is for large groups of humans to start flooding our borders without some other governing body to...help regulate them."

Walter hesitated, then nodded. "That request is more reasonable. I will see to it that word of your existence is shared only with high-ranking authorities."

"That means a lot to us," replied Luna. "Thank you."

The human nodded again.

After a moment, he looked over his shoulder to his crew and barked, "All right, sailors. Get on that ship and prepare to make way! Quickly now!"

The crew gave a collective start, then quickly retreated to the ship to begin making preparations.

Walter hesitated for a moment, then nodded to the Princesses. "I wonder if I will ever see you or this beautiful land again."

"Perhaps," replied Celestia. "I have a feeling that a _lot_ of humans are going to be visiting this land of ours."

He hesitated for a moment, then observed, "It must be strange, taking such an active role on the stage of the world; a stage that you hardly knew existed until recently."

Celestia sighed, and said, "Indeed. I have protected my subjects for thousands of years from all kinds of threats. This, however, is one I cannot protect them from personally. It's...going to take some getting used to."

"Well, I'll do my best to put in a good word for you back in the British government. With luck, this wonderful nation will not have to weather the storm by itself."

"Thank you...we are in your debt, Mr. Walter."

The human bowed his head. Acting on habit, he extended his hand in an attempt to honor the ancient tradition of shaking hands.

Of course, the process of shaking hands is complicated when the other party does not possess a set of hands.

"Here," said Twilight, to defuse the quickly-developing awkwardness, "close your hand."

Walter looked confused, but complied.

"Now, bump your hand into my hoof, gently. Hold it there for no more than two seconds, then you can remove it. Look me in the eyes and smile while doing it."

Still confused, Walter nonetheless complied.

"In Equestria, that's called a hoofbump. It comes in different forms, depending on your relationship with the pony in question and the setting. That one was the friendly, yet semi-formal greeting and parting bump."

"Fascinating," muttered Walter, as he did it again with each of the of the other Princesses.

"It's not usually mandated by any social protocol, and usage is rare, but can be invoked by anypony in any setting. If one does not know what bump is appropriate, one is expected to allow the other party to lead and just follow their example."

"Very fascinating," repeated the human. After a moment, he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Are you sure those American explorers won't give you any trouble?"

"I don't intend to allow them," replied Celestia. "If worse comes to worse, we will simply send them back from whence they came."

"Captain, sir! We're ready!" came the call from the _Majesty_.

"Very well. My homeland calls," said Walter, turning around.

"Goodbye," called the Princesses, as they watched them slowly start to make way.

"Twilight?" asked Celestia.

"Yes?"

"Did you get everything you need?"

"Yes."

"Good. Hire as many ponies as you need, and see if you can build a ship like that. The national treasury is yours to use."

* * *

_March 14, 1816_

Unlike the British explorers, the American "Second Corps of Discovery" apparently had no intention of leaving the land of Equestria. Rather, after they had formally meet with the Princesses, they sent one messenger back to the United States, and requested permanent residence in Equestria.

"Why?" Celestia had asked at the time.

"We have been ordered to begin the establishment of a formal diplomatic presence in the Principality of Equestria," the leader of the expedition had replied.

"I never gave the authorization for that," responded Celestia.

"Regardless, our orders are clear. If you want, our diplomatic mission shall be arriving in a few months. You can lodge a protest then."

Princess Celestia had hesitated for a long moment, then asked herself rhetorically, "What choice do I have?" She then turned back to humans, and said: "Very well. You may build you embassy anywhere _outside_ the walls of Canterlot, but within the township thereof."

"And where does this township end? And, for that matter, what _is_ a township, precisely?"

Celestia sighed. "The Principality is a single country, yes, but the nation is organized into townships, in which ponies are allowed to form their own local governments, to handle internal affairs. Such has been the way of things ever since the decentralization of the Principality after the Lunar Rebellion. Some townships elect their local government, such as the township of Ponyville. Those leaders are known as mayors. Others are lead by a whoever is the sheriff and responsible for upholding law and order in the township. This is common in the eastern townships, far away from the central government, such as Appleloosa. Still others request that I appoint a magistrate to oversee their town. This is the system in Maneterrey, just south of Canterlot."

"Very decentralized," mused the human. "The United States is also decentralized, and the powers of the smaller regions, known as 'states' are important to the governing of the nation."

"Technically speaking, I and my fellow Princesses can override the decisions of the townships at anytime for any reason, or, indeed, no reason" said Celestia. "Such powers, however, haven't been exercised for centuries."

"And that is where the similarities end," muttered the human, thinking of the uproar that would occur if the federal government overrode a state's government. _It would surely tear the Union apart!_

"In fact, now that I think about it," started Celestia, "I think I have a place for you to build. Follow me."

Now that a few months had passed, the diplomat that the humans had sent for was due to arrive soon.

"I still can't believe that they did not seek our approval before beginning construction an embassy," mused Luna. "They must think that they have us exactly where they want us."

"They do," replied Celestia. "Think of it: they have a group of agents within our borders. They have diplomatic immunity, which they have perverted the meaning of in order to open our country to them. We can't exactly complain to another country, as we don't have a diplomatic ties with one. We can't oppose them directly, they outclass us in every way with their military. We're helpless."

"So, what can we do?" asked Cadance.

"It is starting to look more and more like we need to learn to play the human's game."

"Good luck getting any of the nobles to agree with you," said Luna. "Something drastic will need to happen before they will support such actions."

"If something doesn't change, that drastic occurrence you speak of will come soon," predicted Celestia.

* * *

_August 12, 1816_

_London, Great Britain_

"Prime Minister Jenkinson? I have another collection of reports."

"Thank you, sir. Just leave them on the desk, I'll get to them soon."

"Yes, sir." The man delivering the reports did not leave, however.

"Is there something I can help you further with?" asked the Prime Minister.

"Just...sir, that top report from a mister Elijah Walter. He claims to have explored the territory south of British Columbia and...well, he has some...interesting...findings."

"Like what?"

The man sighed, then opted for the direct approach. "Like an entire native nation whose population is made up of sentient, English-speaking ponies, some of which resemble the Greek myths of pegasi and unicorns."

The Prime Minister blinked twice. "Impossible."

"They are also organized into a relatively strong government with a powerful national identity, unlike the natives elsewhere."

"This defies reason!"

"Maybe so, but they exist, nonetheless."

"Are you saying that this nation is not lead by a chief, but instead possesses a reformed and centralized government structure?"

"Yes. They are a non-tribal, quadarchal, absolute principality."

"Wow. And, just to be sure, you said that they ponies?! Ponies that are somehow able to speak English? And are sentient?"

"That is what I said."

An idea gripped the Prime Minister. "Very well. If what you say is true, then we cannot delay. Dispatch an ambassador as soon as possible. We _must_ open diplomatic channels with this nation of 'ponies,' before the United States does."

"Uh, sir?"

"Have those Americans already established a presence?"

"No, sir, but our explores report that the Equestrians, as they are called, have already had a few...shall we say, incidents, with the Americans. They also report that the rulers of this pony land are somewhat scared of and distrustful of the Americans, while we made a better, friendlier impression on them."

"Excellent." _That should make this plan simplier._

"Sir, if I may?"  
"Yes," replied the Minister.

"You look as if you are planning something. What is it?"

Jenkinson sighed. "Is it not clear?" he asked. Deciding to lead the man to the answer, he asked, "Who did we recently fight?"

"Napoleon."

"Who else?" asked Jenkinson, impatiently.

"Uhh...the United States."

"Yes. Now, think about it. You just told me that their country has had a few incidents with the United States, and that as a result, they are distrustful. With some cajoling, and weapons and infrastructure that the British Empire may or may not provide them…"

"They can be made into a regional rival against the United States, and check their power," finished the other man, seeing the Prime Minister's plan.

"Precisely. Now, see to the ambassador."

* * *

_August 16, 1816_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"I, Princess Celestia of the Principality of Equestria, speaking on behalf of all of the Royal Council, accept your letters of accreditation and acknowledge you as the resident ambassador of the United States of America. On behalf of all of my subjects, I welcome you to Equestria, and hope that your presence will lead to bright future for both the Principality of Equestria and the United States of America."

The human facing Princess Celestia inclined his head, as the first accreditation ceremony in Equestria for many years ended. The human diplomat, a man named Clinton Erickson, was a young man. Celestia looked into his eyes, and she saw the unmistakable light of youth in them.

_Surprising that they would send such a young man to represent their interests,_ she mused. _I wonder if they consider our nation to be a diplomatic proving grounds. Or if they consider Equestria to be diplomatic backwaters._

Unlike Livingston, the former American diplomat to Griffonia before he died of old age, Erickson definitely lacked much emotional control. Thus, Celestia was able to easily able to interpret the air of aloofness surrounding the man and his elevated gaze. Despite being slightly shorter than the Princesses, he carried himself with the air of one who towered over ones considered inferior.

_He does not like us._

Celestia reflected that the human's disdain for them was not necessarily a bad thing. If he considered them inferior, it would be easier to surprise him and keep him off-guard.

As the trumpets for the ceremony finally fell silent, the human raised his chin slightly - surprising Celestia, for she was certain that he could not look more aloof if he tried - and said "Princess Celestia, if we may now discuss matters of importance?"

Celestia felt a brief flare of irritation at his offhoof matter of address. She decided to let it go this time, but Captain Shining Armor, who was standing as Celestia's ceremonial guard, interjected, "The proper form of address, Ambassador, is 'Your Highness.'"

The human turned to him, with his eyebrows forming a narrow line. Before he could speak, however, Celestia seized the moment and said, in an attempt to head off arguement, "Thank you, Captain. You are dismissed."

The Captain stood for a moment, then bowed deeply to Celestia, stiffly (and reluctantly) inclined his head to the human, and walked away. Celestia could have sworn he was muttering under his breath.

The human ambassador turned back to Celestia, and the Solar Princess noticed that he was clenching and unclenching his fists, which the pony, unaware of what the movement ment, took to mean that he was fighting something within himself.

The movement stopped after a brief moment, and the human looked flatly at her. Before he could speak, the Princess again headed him off and said, "I believe you wanted to speak business?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I will convene the Royal Council."

"Is that necessary? Can we just simply discuss this, one-to-one?"

Celestia turned around, so the diplomat would not see her grin. "You have much to learn if you think that I can act without the approval of my peers." With that, she lead the human into Canterlot Castle, cringing as she realized that she had already broken her personal promise to keep humans out of Canterlot.

* * *

"You want us to do _WHAT?!_" Twilight half-asked, half-demanded.

The human gave an annoying sigh that Celestia found to be similar to the one a parent gave a foal. "The government of the United States wishes for you to sign a treaty of extradition with us. It will guarantee the right of American citizens to a...fair...trial by their own peers and species."

"And what makes you think we will even allow humans in Equestria?" asked Luna, scowling. "I, for one, do not see-"

"Peace, sister," cut in Celestia. Returning to the human, Celestia raised an eyebrow and asked the human, "Suppose we sign this treaty, and humans start entering our lands. Eventually, one is found guilty of something that is not a crime in your country. Say, for instance, _slaveholding._" Celestia spoke the word with as much contempt as possible, as if its very existence was toxic. Which, of course, it was. "What assurance do we have that you country will still punish this human according to our laws? How can we be sure that this human will not be immediately pardoned?"

"The United States would always punish everything that is a crime," replied the human. Celestia noticed that the statement did not contain a promise that such things would not occur. "Though, while we are on the topic of slaveholding, the United States has a concern."

"Oh?"

"It has come to our attention that King Odrynn of the Kingdom of Griffonia has infringed upon the property rights of American citizens. In particular, he declared slaves held within the aforementioned Kingdom are entitled to all protections under the law that are afforded to his other citizens. We would like your assurance that _you_ will not take such...radical action."

She was proud when she hesitated only for a split second before saying, "On this matter, King Odrynn has my - well as the rest of the Council's - complete and utter support. Slavery has long been known to be a foe of the population of Equestria. It is a divisive, barbaric institution that is an enemy of harmony, unity, and the ideas upon which the Principality of Equestria is founded. Slavery has been illegal since the first Hearth's Warming Day, when the Three Pony Tribes were able to put aside their differences and found the first form of Equestria - the Equestrian Republic. I cannot presume to tell you how to run your country, but know this: Slavery has never, is not, and will never be tolerated in the Principality. The second any sentient creature - be it human or pony - sets foot or hoof upon Equestrian soil, they are no longer a slave until such time they leave our soil. On this matter, the Royal Council is set. Nothing will change our minds, and this not open to any form of debate or compromise. As long as Canterlot stands, so will this directive." After a moment, Celestia added, "I believe you will find the entire Equestrian population to be of the same opinion."

The human sat silently for a moment, then shifted slightly. "I urge you to reconsider," he replied, slowly. "The United States of America do not take kindly to such stances."  
"I am afraid you have our one and only answer."

"Very well," replied the human. "I will relay that answer to the United States."

Celestia internally winced, but steeled herself. _This is the one thing I promised myself I would never budge on._

"So be it."

After a moment, the human asked, "Now, what of our extradition treaty?"

Celestia, with great effort, held back a grimace. "The Council will _consider_ your request, but we cannot guarantee that we will see the need."

Princess Luna took this moment to jump in with bold statement, saying, "And may I add that your implication that our justice system is unfair did not go unnoticed."

_Damn it, Luna._ When Luna looked to her sister, she saw Celestia glaring daggers at her.

_That was not the time,_ thought Celestia.

The human, however, chose not to comment on the remark, instead fixing Celestia with that same flat stare. After a moment, he said, "I hope you consider quickly. and realize this is in the best interests of all Americans."

With that, he got up to take his leave.

Before he could depart from the room, however, Celestia replied, "Perhaps. But is it in the best interests of the ponies of Equestria?"

The human did not reply.

* * *

_August 18, 1816_

_Royal Address to the Ponies of Equestria_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"Fillies and gentlecolts. Rumors of some alien presence within the borders of our fair land of Equestria have been circulating throughout Canterlot and, indeed all of Equestria. As Princess, I have assembled you here to shed some clarity on the rumor."

"Approximately three months ago, during Hearth's Warming Eve, my fellow Princesses and myself came into contact with beings previously unknown to Equestria who walk upon two legs. Since then, we have corresponded with two nations of these creatures, known as humans."

"I urge the ponies of Equestria to extend to these humans every bit of kindness that you extend to your fellow ponies. In time, I am sure that this group will become very good friends with us."

"That is all. Please, no questions."

* * *

_October 21, 1816_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"Princess!"

"What now?" Celestia asked herself, rhetorically. Out loud, she replied, in a polite enough tone, "Yes, my little pony?"

Unsurprisingly, it was a Royal Guard seeking her attention. "Ma'am, we have observed another large ship off our coasts. It was flying the same flag as the _Majesty_."

"Where?"

"Last we saw it, it was heading towards Manehattan."

"Manehattan." _A somewhat-republican mayor-led township,_ recalled Celestia. _Current mayor is Cherry Joy._

"Inform Mayor Joy that the Royal Council intends to pay her and her township a visit. Also, inform her that she is to keep the ponies and humans separate until we arrive. She is authorized to use as many Guardponies as she needs."

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

_October 22, 1816_

_Manehattan, Equestria_

The Mayor read the orders given to her by the Guardpony, then looked up at the Guard in question.

"I am authorized to use as many guards as necessary?"

"That is what I was ordered to tell you."

"Well...very well. Assemble a squad of twenty Guards, then. We'll need them on standby to keep ponies calm."

"...Your orders, Mayor, are the ponies and humans from interacting."

"I know what my orders are," snapped the mayor. "Do as I say."

The pony hesitated, then inclined his head slightly. "Very well."

"Now go. I have a meeting to arrange."

* * *

_The ship was rather large,_ noted the mayor.

The sad thing was, from the standpoint of the British Empire, it really wasn't.

She watched as it came closer, slowing down as it approached the shore.

Unlike the _Majesty_, the seas were calm and thus, the craft was able to avoid an abrupt and personal meeting with the shore.

The ship soon managed to come alongside the Manehattan port. Of course, the port was made for much smaller ships, but they made do.

The was a flurry of activity on the ship, and a plank was extended to the port. As the plank came out, the assigned Guardponies snapped to attention, bringing their spears so that they faced straight upwards, towards the sky.

Two humans, dressed in bright uniforms and armed with those guns, were the first down. They moved to the side, and assumed a stance that appeared to be one of military attention.

Behind them came a single man, dressed in nearly all black. The Mayor saw him as an older man, but not so old that the fire within his eyes dimmed.

"My name is Robert Liston," said the man, inclining his head. If he was caught off-guard by the Equestrians, he did not show it.

_Must have been briefed extensively._

The Mayor became acutely aware of a small crowd of ponies gathering around, examining the human. She signaled, and the Royal Guard began to gently move the crowd back.

"I am Cherry Joy, mayor of the township of Manehattan. I assume you are one of these 'humans' we have been hearing so much about?"

"Yes," replied the human. "I have been sent by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to open diplomatic relations. Now, I understand this nation is a principality?"

"Yes, sir. The Princesses are on their way now to meet with you and escort you to Canterlot, the capital. There, I imagine that you will be allowed to establish an embassy or some sort of diplomatic outpost.


	9. The Manetown Incident

Chapter 9: The Manetown Incident

_The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria_

_June 25, 1817_

_American Embassy to Equestria_

_Canterlot. Equestria_

"I must decline, Princess Celestia," said the human ambassador. "I have already given you my terms, and they are the only ones I am authorized to accept. Now, the United States of America demands that you turn that man over to us for punishment according to the laws of the United States of America. Are you refusing our demand?"

_How did it come to this?_ wondered Celestia. _How it everything spiral out of control so quickly?_

* * *

_November 23, 1816_

_Special Meeting of the Equestrian Royal Council_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"Thank you for coming, esteemed Ambassadors," said Celestia, smiling at the two diplomats.

Ambassador Liston smiled in return, relaxed, and inclined his head towards the Princesses. Erickson, however, remained in his stiff position.

"Why have you summoned us?" he asked, wasting no time.

"It has come to my attention that both of your countries have requested that we open our borders to human immigrants. I have convened the Royal Council to deliberate, and we wish to hear why you think this is a good idea."

Liston spoke first. "The United Kingdom wishes to learn more of this land. After all, the existence of your species was a mystery until very recently, and many of our greatest minds are still puzzling over it. In addition...I could not help but notice that your nation is technologically inferior to the rest of the civilized world. If you wish...perhaps we could trade our knowledge, and help you. All immigration to your nation would be kept strictly controlled, of course."

After he fell silent, it was Erickson's turn. "As my...esteemed colleague said, the United States of America wishes to discover more about your country, and your species. In addition, we believe that a fundamental part of national understanding is cultural blending. As a result, we would allow a number of Americans that wish to settle in your lands to do so."

Alarm bells went off in Celestia's brain. _An unspecified number of permanent human residents? Not a chance._

"Thank you," she said carefully. "We will continue our deliberations, and inform you of our decision when we arrive at one."

The humans bowed and took their leave.

As the door closed behind them, Luna muttered, "All in favor of unlimited American settlers in Equestria, please adicate right now and spare us the trouble of having explain to the population why we stripped you of power."

Celestia didn't blame her.

"I actually do not have a problem with the Kingdom's proposal," said Cadance.

"I agree. It seems reasonable enough," added Twilight.

"That is true," replied Celestia. "The United Kingdom, I say, can go ahead, as long as we get a say in just how 'limited' that immigration is. The Americans, though…"

The Princesses reflected silently for a moment, then Celestia cleared her throat and said, "All in favor of provisionally approving the United Kingdom's proposal?"

All four Princesses raised a hoof.

"Very well. Now, if we remove the American settlers from the proposal of the United States, who here would be inclined to approve it?"

The Princesses looked sideways at each other, then - slowly - each of them raised a hoof.

After a brief moment of silence, Twilight spoke up. "Actually, as long as the number of human settlers were tightly controlled - say, no more than fifty - and they were kept under constant watch by the Guard, I would allow it."

Cadance, next to her, nodded slowly. "I would as well, as long as the second they start acting up, we were allowed to arrest and punish them."

Luna slowly began to nod as well, and said, "I suppose that the essence of diplomacy is compromise, after all. As long as the human population within Equestria follows our rules regarding slavery and the like, and remains orderly and obedient, I can't see a reason to deny their request."

Celestia nodded. "If that is the decision of the Council, I shall deliver our compromise to the Americans."

"Is that all for now?" asked Cadance.

"Actually, no," replied Luna. "If the Americans and the British get to establish embassies in Equestria, why don't we establish a diplomatic presence in their nations? A number of ponies _have_ approached me, offering their services as diplomats. Of course, they would require training before we send them off, but it sounds like the beginning of an Equestrian Diplomatic Corps to me."

"Interesting...we could take the British up on their offer and ask them to assist in their training," added Celestia. After a moment, she asked, "All in favor of the establishment of the Equestrian Diplomatic Corps?"

Another unanimous approval.

* * *

_December 17, 1816_

_Manetown, Equestria_

As the human settlers approached the town, some eighty strong, they felt the cold get harsher and harsher. As the sun set, the heat quickly left the ground, thanks to the fact that there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Eventually, their presence was noticed, and a orange-coated pegasus decided to brave the cold and flew out to meet them.

"...Hello. Are you one of those humans the Princess told us about?" asked the pegasus, looking wary, but not unfriendly.

The _de facto_ leader of the human settlers looked the pony up and down for a few seconds, then decided that he was not seeing things. He had been told about the ponies, of course, but being told about them was one thing. Actually seeing them in the flesh, however, was quite another…

"I don't know who this 'Princess' is," he replied, "but I and my companions are humans, yes."

The pegasus considered this fact for a moment, then noticed just how freezing the group looked. "It's too cold to be outside," she said. "Come with me. I have a few friends. If we pool our resources, we might just have enough room for the night."

"I don't imagine you'll have enough beds," he replied.

"No, but we _do_ have warm fires, and walls to keep the cold away."

The human considered it for a moment, then looked out at his group. Consisting of mostly small families, he shuttered to think what would happen if they were caught out in the cold without some form of shelter. While they did have tents and tools to make fire with, the man was not sure just how effective they would be.

"Very well," he said.

The pony cracked a small smile, then said, "Follow me, then."

* * *

_December 21, 1816_

_American Embassy to Equestria_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"I fail to see the problem," said the human diplomat. "Our people were more than orderly."

"_I_ do," replied Celestia. "First off, I had no idea the human immigrants would arrive so swiftly!"

"That is of no concern of yours," Erickson replied. "But, if you _must_ know, the United States had selected them before we received word back from you, and they were stationed at the edge of the Louisiana Territory. Word travelled swiftly."

"Ok," said Celestia. "I can accept that. However, the number of settlers is almost double what the Council said we'd allow!"

"And I warned you that the United States would send up to one hundred," the human said,

"You had no justifiable reason to defy the will of the Royal Council!" replied Celestia. "I have a half mind to declare them unwelcome right now and send them back where they came from!"

"You wouldn't dare," said the diplomat.

And that was the crux of the matter. No matter how loudly Princess Celestia protested, both of them knew that Equestria lacked the military might to challenge anything that the United States did. Celestia could complain as much as she wanted to, and all the human would have to do is sit back in his chair and call her bluff.

It pissed the Princess off.

After a moment of awkward silence, the human allowed a small smile to come through before changing the topic. "Now, it has come to my attention that this nation does not follow Christianity, and has no idea what Christmas is."

"And I take it some, most, or all of the settlers are members of this 'Christianity?'"

"All of them, I should think," replied the diplomat. "I need your guarantee that on

December 24 and 25, you and your subjects will allow them to worship in peace."

"December 25? That's Hearth's Warming Eve," Celestia noticed.

"Problem?"

"None, as long as these humans do not interfere with _our_ holiday," she replied. "I should warn you. all public celebrations of Hearth Warming are nationally protected."

"Noted."

* * *

_December 25, 1816 (Hearth's Warming Eve)_

_Manetown, Equestria_

"What are the heathens doing now?" asked a settler.

When the humans discovered that the ponies were neither Christians nor interested in becoming Christians, some of the more religious among them thought that maybe, just maybe, God wanted them to change that.

"Most of them seem to have gone into the town hall," replied another.

"No doubt to practice their ungodly ways," said the first.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We have a dozen-and-a-half God-fearing men here, and with more weapons than these primitive bastards could ever imagine! Let's teach them a thing or two about the _true_ faith!"

"You think boss will approve?" asked a more cautious member of their group.

"Who cares? We're doing God's work! How can we be wrong?"

* * *

As the party of humans entered the town hall, they saw the ponies mingling and speaking with each other. In the back of the hall, a pony was clearly (somehow) about to begin playing the piano. How she would do that with her hooves, none of the humans had any idea.

"Alright you damn horses! Enough of your satanic ways!" shouted one of the humans.

Nopony heard him over the din.

Angry, he lifted his gun and fired a shot into the roof of the building. "I _said_, ENOUGH of your Devil worshipping ways!"

_That_ silenced the crowd in no time flat. All of them expect for that same pegasus that had first welcomed them into the town.

"What are you doing, my...friends?" he asked.

"You're no friend of mine," replied the human. "I have no heathen friends."

"...Very well. If not my friend, then, what do you want?"

"For you to abandon your filthy, satanic beliefs and submit to the will of God!"

"We already told you, we have no interest in your religion. We allowed you to celebrate your holiday in peace, now we want you to do the same for us." This time, it was not the orange pegasus speaking, but rather the mayor of Manetown. "Now, leave us now, and we will forget this whole thing even happened. Or stay, and learn about us. Leave those weapons out of it, though."

As he spoke, nobody noticed a unicorn in the corner cast a quick spell.

"No!" yelled the human, and he lowered his gun so it pointed at the mayor. "I am doing the Lord's work now! My Savior commands it!"

"Maybe...maybe not," said one of his fellow humans. "This is a bad idea. Maybe we should just leave."

The man carrying the gun whirled around and pointed the gun at him. "Traitor! Treason before God! I should shoot you right now!"

"But you won't," the other man replied, "for this is not God's will. You whipped us up into a frenzy, but now reason is resurfacing. These ponies treated us just fine, and no amount of angry words will change that. Jesus once said, 'love thy neighbor as thyself,' after all."

Before anybody else could say anything, a door gave way with a loud _BANG!_ In their shining gold armor, half a dozen members of the Royal Guard charged through. The lead pony yelled, "Royal Guard! Drop your weap-_ack!_"

He fell to the ground, as the human wielding the gun dimly felt the recoil of his weapon. It took his brain a few seconds to register what had happened.

In that few seconds, the Guard closed the gap between themselves and the man. Seeing the spears leveled at him, he whispered, "I did it for God...may He have mercy on my soul."

One of the Guard clubbed him over the head with a spear, and the man collapsed into the waiting arms of darkness.

* * *

_January 2, 1817_

_Emergency Meeting of the Equestrian Royal Council_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"What charges do we have? A better question would be what charges we _don't_ have!" exclaimed Princess Luna. "Disruption of Hearth's Warming Eve, property damage, bringing disharmony, and, to top it all off, assaulting an officer of the Royal Guard. Any word on his condition, by the way?"

There was a moment of silence before Twilight finally spoke. "He...he died last night."

"Add murder to the charges," Luna muttered. All of the Princesses fell silent for a moment.

"And what does this mean for the perpetrator?" asked Erickson.

Celestia sighed. "Murder of a member of the Royal Guard is almost unheard of in Equestria."

"That being said, however, we cannot allow this crime to go unpunished. Most likely, he will be fined a sum of approximately seventy-five thousand bits, in addition to the cost to repair the damage done to Manetown's Town Hall. As for the killed Guard...above and beyond the fines, ancient law demands that he be imprisoned for a period of no less than twenty years, along with reparations to the family of the fallen pony."

"Unacceptable," said the human.

Celestia hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry you feel that way. However, Equestria has rules and laws that we must follow. We cannot just waive the law whenever we feel uncomfortable. No, this human's punishment will go forward, regardless of your personal feelings on the matter."

"No. I have received orders in anticipation of an incident like this from the United States. We demand that you turn the American over to us for trial by his own species."

"May I _remind_ you, Ambassador, that we never signed a treaty of extraterritorially with your nation. As such, you cannot make any such demands upon us and expect us do any such thing."

"The United States is prepared to take..._drastic action_...to protect its citizens," came the reply.

All of the Princesses recognized a thinly-veiled threat when they heard one.

"As such, I urge you to reconsider your stance, before something happens that we all regret."

He left, the door booming shut behind him.

"Well," said Cadance. "that happened."

"What in the name of all things under the Sun are we going to do?" asked Twilight, a very faint note of despair in her voice.

Celestia walked over to a window and glared in the general direction of the US embassy. After a moment, though, she let her gaze wander, until it fell upon a similar building, flying a different flag.

With a sense of finality, she turned and faced the rest of the Royal Council. "It is high time," she said, attaching as much weight as she could to each word, "that we start making a few friends."

* * *

_British Embassy to Equestria_

_Canterlot, Equestria_

"I wish I could say that I was surprised, Your Highnesses," said Liston. "Once again the Americans have demonstrated their contempt for civility and rationalism."

"Does that mean your government will side with us?"

"Side with you? No, not in so many words. It would take weeks before word made it back to His Majesty, time you simply do not have to spare. Rather, I am prepared to offer my services as mediator. Note that I would not be acting as an ambassador from the United Kingdom, but rather a man with extensive knowledge of diplomacy and conflict resolution. Perhaps with my help, we can come to an agreement that is...serviceable to both sides, before this becomes any more unpleasant than it already is."

"Very well. The Royal Council will consent your offer. Now to get the American on board..."

* * *

_February 22, 1817_

_British Embassy to Equestria_

_First Day of Negotiations_

"Alright," said Ambassador Liston. "Please, take your seats."

Ambassador Erickson took a seat perpendicular to Liston's, as Princess Celestia sat across from him.

"I have selected this spot as a neutral location for us to sit down, as civilized creatures, to discuss our differences. Do note that I am not an arbiter, nor a judge of any kind. Rather, I simply act as mediator, and my presence here is simply of one who wishes to see the peace on this continent preserved."

"Now, I have looked at the facts of the case, and they seem straightforward enough. With that in mind, Princess Celestia, if, for the record, you can state the charges against and expected punishment for the man in question?"

"Certainly," she replied. "The man is charged with general disruption of harmony, disruption of Hearth's Warming Eve Celebrations, breaking and entering, public property damage, and the assault and murder of a Equestrian Royal Guard. The absolute minimum demanded by law is a fine of no less than twenty-two thousand bits, and a term of imprisonment of no less than twenty years. At the absolute minimum."

"What are the odds he would be given such terms?"

"Slim. As I said to Ambassador Erickson, it is more likely that he would face a twenty five year imprisonment, and a slightly harsher fine."

"Do you over the power to override this?"

Celestia paused, a troubled look on her face. "Technically, yes, I can pardon anypony for any reason. However, doing so invites dangerous legal precedents."

"You did so for your sister," pointed out Erickson.

"That's not the same thing. She had already been banished for over a thousand years. that was punishment enough."

"Peace," interrupted Liston. "We're getting off track. Ambassador Erickson, is it possible for your government to pay the fines on behalf of this man?"

"Possible? Yes," he said. "However, I would need to get into contact with the United States. Should take weeks for a messenger to get to Washington, DC, and weeks to get a message back. And before we send the messenger, we need establish just how much the fine will be for and its value. We don't have any 'bits,' so some other form of payment, _if_ it is approved, will need to suffice."

"I must warn you that I have received more letters and petitions than I can count _demanding_ that something be done about the human. I have not seen the ponies so angry about something in over a thousand years."

"That is concerning, but let it be known that the United States will not allow a mob to dictate whether or not an individual will get justice. We are prepared to take drastic measures to protect this man's rights."


End file.
